Draft 2025-2026 School Year Calendar - Four Options. Final Board of Ed vote on December 11th

MCPS has released a memo for the draft school calendar for the next school year, 2025-2026. There are four draft calendar scenarios shown in the memo.  According to the memo, there can be public comment. The Board will vote on the final calendar at their December 11, 2025 business meeting.

Draft Sch Yr Calendar 2026-2027 251016 by freestategal

MCPS School Year Calendar 2026-2027 Survey #1

MCPS staff (I believe there is a calendar committee) has provided options for the calendar for the next school year. Please complete the survey.

Please limit to one response per person.  This initial survey will close on September 30, 2025.

Link to survey and survey information is here.  

How long should winter break be? Montgomery, Arlington schools working on new calendars

School officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Arlington, Virginia, are in the process of developing calendars for the next school year as some parents across the D.C. area say current calendars include too many days off.

Dana Edwards, chief of district operations in Montgomery County, said at a meeting this week that in weighing calendar options for 2023-24, there’s more to think about than when the first and last days of school should be...

How long should winter break be? Montgomery, Arlington schools working on new calendars - WTOP News

Montgomery County holds special meeting to approve controversial calendar change

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Montgomery County’s Board of Education convened for a special meeting on Tuesday that critics say should have never happened.

The meeting ended with MCPS’ School Board now officially approving a 2021-2022 calendar change that will give MCPS staffers more time off, starting with this year’s holiday break...

...Martin told FOX 5 Dr. McKnight’s team never contacted the MCEA about the calendar change. Martin confirmed teachers are only getting three half days for planning in this new schedule. 

"I think this is symptomatic of a larger issue and that larger issues is over the last 20 years, there’s been a movement in this country to strip boards of education of their power and turn over the control of our public school systems to a ‘superintendent’ who is then a ‘CEO’ and reports to know one," said Janis Zink Sartucci, a member of the Montgomery County volunteer group, "Parents’ Coalition."

During Tuesday’s special meeting, the group’s twitter handle trailed BOE members, writing in one post:

"While @mocoboe is in recess to read Robert's Rules, exactly WHAT was the procedural error last week that is being corrected today?  Resolution was voted on. Failed. Error was that it failed?" 

The group believes school board members pushed the calendar change through, not properly following voting rules. Some say Tuesday’s special meeting should not have been allowed...

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgomery-county-holds-special-meeting-to-approve-controversial-calendar-change

Breaking: Dec. 2, 2021 - Resolution to Change Calendar FAILS. BOE President Violates Robert's Rules of Order, Forces BOE Members to Keep Voting Until She Gets Desired Outcome. New Meeting Set for Dec. 7th.

What happened at the Thursday, December 2, 2021, Montgomery County Board of Education meeting?  Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight surprised Board of Education members with a Resolution to add three 1/2 days to the MCPS calendar this year and to give administrators additional days off.  

Various news outlets have reported that the McKnight Resolution passed, but the meeting video shows otherwise. 

Clearly, the Resolution did not pass as the Board of Education has now called for a new meeting on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 to vote on the exact same Resolution again.

Here is our summary of the Thursday, December 2, 2021, Board of Education meeting.

BOE President Wolff presides over BOE meetings using Robert's Rules of Procedure, Newly Revised as per the Board of Education Handbook, Page 7.

Summary taken from Montgomery County Board of Education December 2, 2021, meeting video.

7. Items of Discussion/Action - 1:45 p.m.  (Watch the discussion at this link)

7.1 2021� School Year Calendar Modification

SUMMARY OF BOE DISCUSSION AND VOTES WITH TIME STAMPS TO VIDEO OF DECEMBER 2nd MEETING. [ ] indicates information from Parents' Coalition.

Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight introduced Item #7 and talked about the Resolutions she was proposing.  

BOE Member Silvestre moved approval for purposes of discussion. Seconded.

Discussion

Time on Video: 1:30:20 BOE Member Harris Motion to Bifurcate Resolution into two. 1:46 BOE Member Smondrowski seconds motion.

1:48:20 BOE President Wolff says "we have a motion on the floor" says motion is "to vote for this as written" 

Smondrowski questions why Harris amendment is not being voted on, Wolff says "we have a motion on the floor." 

Wolff says, "All in favor, raise your hand."  Wolff, Docca, O'Looney and Evans raise their hands.  [NOTE THE RESOLUTION FAILED AT THIS POINT] "All opposed, raise your hand" Smondrowski, Harris and Silvestre raised their hands.

Wolff says, "We need 5 votes, so does somebody else want to put a motion on the floor? Can't pass it without 5 votes." 

Again, Harris makes motion to bifurcate the resolution into two parts. One resolution would relate to 1/2 days, the other resolution would relate to administrative closings and Juneteenth.  Seconded (again)

1:50 Wolff has Harris make her motion to bifurcate again [3rd time] and it is seconded again.

1:51 Wollf says "All in favor of the motion raise your hand" O'Looney, Harris, Silvestre and Smondrowski raise their hands.  "All opposed raise your hand" Docca, Wolff and Evans raise their hands. 

Wolff says "So the motion fails." 

1:51:50 Dead silence.  President Wolff looks around at BOE members.

1:52:26 President Wolff then says "Let's do this, let's put a motion on the floor to vote on the winter break and Juneteenth, first OK?" [Note that Motion JUST FAILED, yet Wolff is moving forward as if it Passed].

President Wolff is told that they just did that, she says "That's right."

1:52:36 Silvetre says "Should we try again?"

1:52:42 Harris makes her motion to bifurcate the Resolution again. [4th time] 

1:54:37 Wolff has Harris restate her motion again. [5th time].  Evans interrupts and says before that is seconded can we modify the current resolution? Evans says can we just strike the January 12th day?  

1:55 Evans goes into a speech "You're saying that we haven't given people sufficient notice. I understand that there are parents that have concerns. I felt like Dr. McKnight gave great detail explanation as to why this resolution works for the  entire system..."

"...I've heard people make concerns about how in the future we would like to get information [Resolutions] in advance. That has been heard. Duly noted*. But that should not be a reason why we delay this Resolution." 

[*NOTE:  The Board of Education Handbook, Page 13 already states that Board meeting materials are prepared for Board members in advance of meetings and that MCPS staff are available for information before or at meetings.]

1:59 Wolff says "We actually have a call for a vote on the floor.  Ms. O'Looney this is the last comment."  [In fact, Harris' 5th reading of her motion was never seconded.] 

2:00 Wolff asks Harris if she wants to rescind her motion. Then says motion was seconded [but Evans interrupted before any second. Then staff says it was seconded].

2:01:27 Wolff says "All in favor of Ms. Harris' motion to separate these raise your hand."  Harris, Silvestre and Smondrowski

"All opposed raise your hand." O'Looney, Docca, Evans, and Wolff

2:01:46 Evans "I have a motion to reconsider the previous, original resolution." Seconded 

[Let's go to Robert's Rules of Order:  The motion to reconsider may be made only by a member who voted on the prevailing side in the original vote (such as someone who voted "yes" if the motion had passed or voted "no" if the motion was defeated). In this Board of Education vote Evans voted in favor of the original Resolution and the Resolution failed.]

2:01  Wolff does not allow for any discussion.  She immediately says "there is a motion on the floor, all in favor raise your hand."  O'Looney, Evans, Wolff and Docca  "So the motion fails because we have to have 5 votes."  

Wolff does not ask for those opposed.  

Instead, Wolff looks around at Board members and says, "Any proposals?" She pauses again and looks around at Board members and begins a speech.  Wolff says, "I think it's very important that we not think about how the communication has been but think about our staff how they are struggling right now..."

2:02 Smondrowski offers amendment to original Resolution that would have MCPS commit to free activities for students at the cluster level on 1/2 days. Off camera, someone tells her no that can't be done. No second to amendment.

2:05 McKnight refers to 1/2 days as something that is being "piloted for the future."  [Note 1/2 days have been used in MCPS for decades.]

2:07 Evans again offers her Motion for Reconsideration and it is seconded for the second time. 

2:07:55 Smondrowski says she will switch her vote but says,  "...unacceptable that we be given materials of this consequence and of this importance less than 24 hours..." 

2:08 Wolff calls for a vote on the Reconsideration.  Docca, Smondrowski, Silvestre, Wolff, Evans, and O'Looney.  Harris opposed. 

2:08 Wolff says, "All right. Thank you. We are now up to..." and she finally goes on to next Agenda item.

Maryland’s largest school system approves an unannounced pandemic-related calendar change

 https://www.fox5dc.com/news/marylands-largest-school-system-approves-an-unannounced-pandemic-related-calendar-change

MoCo School Board Revives 10-Day Spring Break for 2019-2020 School Year

The Montgomery County Board of Education on Tuesday revived the county school district’s 10-day spring break after a one-year hiatus.

In October, the school board began discussions about the 2019-2020 Montgomery County Public Schools calendar, reviewing two options, one of which would operate similarly to this year’s calendar with a six-day spring break, while the second featured the longer break...

...The state mandates 180 instructional days, allowing the proposed 181st and 182nd days to function as make-up days should there be unexpected school closures throughout the year. Both calendars identify the first two days of spring break as possible make-up days for emergency closings. Under the adopted calendar, those days will be Jan. 27 and April 6 and 7, 2020.

Schools will close Dec. 23, 2019, for winter break and the approved calendar includes non-instructional days to coincide with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 30 and Yom Kippur on Oct. 9, which were identified in a district-wide survey as days that parents, students and community members preferred to be out of school...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/moco-school-board-revives-10-day-spring-break-for-2019-2020-school-year/

School Board Approves 2018-19 School Calendar

http://www.mymcmedia.org/school-board-approves-2018-19-school-calendar/

Montgomery Co. schools to refine calendar with post-Labor Day start

 ...O’Neill said she saw three options: adhere to Hogan’s executive order; ignore the law; or challenge it in court. O’Neill said ignoring it was not responsible as they are sworn to abide by the laws. And she added that a court challenge could prove to be expensive for local school districts with an uncertain outcome...

http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2016/11/montgomery-co-schools-to-finesse-calendar-with-post-labor-day-start/

Teachers to lose pre-service day

ROCKVILLE— County public school teachers will lose one pre-service day before school starts in fall 2016 following a board of education vote Monday to have a professional day Sept. 12, the anticipated date of the Muslim holiday Eid-al-Adha.
Montgomery County Public Schools board of education members voted to approve the 2016-2017 school year calendar, six supporting and members Pat O’Neill (D-3) and Philip Kauffman (D-at-large) abstaining.
The board approved the calendar Monday during a business meeting devoted to finalizing the calendar for next school year.
Kauffman said he abstained from voting because Sept. 12 is not the official day of Eid-al-Adha, though the holiday might fall on that day. The Maryland State Department of Education calendar said the holiday falls on Sept. 11, which is not a school day, which influenced his decision. Kauffman said he did not support the change because principals said they were concerned about teachers losing a pre-service day and because he was concerned about when the make-up school day would be...

 http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/newsx/local/item/2902-teachers-to-lose-pre-service-day

Petition for Diwali Holiday Montgomery and Howard County Public Schools

http://www.chinmayadc.org/Petition%20for%20Diwali%20Holiday.pdf

Bowers Takes Away State Teachers Convention Day in New 2016-17 Calendar

Here is the latest version of the 2016-17 MCPS school year calendar.

In this version, the annual MSEA State Education Association convention no school day becomes a school day.  The Board of Education will vote on this version of the 2016-17 calendar on Monday, December 14th.  The Board of Education is not permitting public comment at the Monday, December 14th meeting. 

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/A55BLV727813/$file/2016-2017%20Sch%20Yr%20Calendar.pdf

Vote to accommodate Muslim holiday could cause earlier start date for MCPS

New BOE Meeting

We are so lucky.

The Board of Education announced a new meeting for Monday, December 14 just to discuss the MCPS calendar!

The agenda is posted early.  Way to go, BOE.

But - no public comment?  How are all the good folks of Montgomery County Maryland going to provide public input?

Seems as if, once again, the Board of Education isn't following its own policies.  As a reminder, this is right from the MCPS web:

Public Comments at Board Meetings
Who Can Make a Public Comment?
The regular business meetings of the Board usually include a public comments period in which any citizen, group representative, parent, or student may make a statement regarding an item on a past, present or future Board open-session agenda, or a matter of general policy over which the Board has jurisdiction.
How Do I Sign Up to Make a Public Comment?
At most business meetings, 30 minutes are set aside for Public Comments from residents to encourage public participation. The first fifteen (15) speakers who contact the Board office by telephone on the Monday prior to the business meetings are granted three (3) minutes each to speak 

For those of us who have other obligations - really - who among us isn't working or waiting for a child to return from school at 2:30 in the afternoon, you can send in your comments to BOE@mcpsmd.org.  Better yet, call MCPS at (301) 279-3617.

And we had hoped that Josh Civin would help the BOE and Larry B. understand their responsibilities under Maryland law.  Even if the BOE does not consider this a "regular" business meeting, we think some opportunity for public comment is in order.

Board Sets New Meeting for December 14, 2015 #calendar

Mon, December 14

02:30 PM

Board Business Meeting

Agenda Webcast

There is no Agenda up for this meeting yet, but one can guess this will be the vote on the 2016-17 Calendar that was removed from the December 8, 2015, meeting Agenda.

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/

"potential closing [of MCPS] if there is a likelihood of absentee rates higher than 15 percent for staff and students"

Maryland’s largest school system is considering a new policy to guide decisions about its annual school calendar, a move that comes nine months after officials set off a wave of public anger by scrubbing the calendar of religious holiday names, including Christmas.
The proposed policy does not revive the hot-button issue of identifying religious holidays on the document, but it touches on a related debate in Montgomery County: Under what circumstances should schools be closed on religious or other occasions?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/after-scrubbing-names-of-religious-holidays-moco-considers-new-policy/2015/08/09/eb781c3e-3af7-11e5-8e98-115a3cf7d7ae_story.html

NBC4: Montgomery Co. Schools Received Harsh Emails After Removing Religious Holidays From Calendar

Prince George’s school calendar opts for inclusive approach

Prince George’s County Public Schools has no plans to follow Montgomery County’s lead and remove the names of religious holidays from the school calendar, according to school officials.
On Nov. 11, the Montgomery County Public Schools school board voted to strike the names of all religious holidays from its school calendar, following a request by Muslim organizations to add the holy day of Eid al-Adha to its calendar.
The dates of the holidays are still listed as non-school days, only religious names such as “Christmas,” “Easter” and “Yom Kippur” were removed.
The PGCPS school calendar has included Muslim holidays since the 2007-2008 school year calendar, said spokeswoman Lynn McCawley, and the major Hindu holiday of Diwali has been added to the proposed 2015-2016 calendar.
In 2015, Diwali falls on Nov. 11, which is also set aside for parent/teacher conferences.
“When the administration sent the draft calendar back to the calendar committee, they requested the Hindu holiday be added to the calendar,” McCawley said...

 http://www.gazette.net/article/20141120/NEWS/141129966/prince-george-x2019-s-school-calendar-opts-for-inclusive-approach&template=gazette

On Now: Kojo Nnamdi with A Contentious School Calendar In Montgomery County

Listen now:

Montgomery County’s Board of Education voted earlier this week to remove the names of religious holidays from the school calendar. The board notes that the days off will remain the same given how many staff and students are absent on those days. But the decision is a contentious one, both for those who’d like to see the days recognized as religious holidays, and for Muslim groups who lobbied to have their own holidays added to the calendar. We explore the issues.

Guests

• Philip Kauffman President, Montgomery County Board of Education
• Matt Bush Maryland Reporter, WAMU 88.5
• Patricia O'Neill Member, Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education
• Saqib Ali Director of Government Relations, Council on American Islamic Relations, Maryland Chapter; Co-chair, Equality for Eid Coalition; Former Member, Maryland House of Delegates (D- Dist. 39, Gaithersburg) 

 http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2014-11-13/a_contentious_school_calendar_in_montgomery_county

CNN: Name that holiday? This Maryland school district won't

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/13/living/montgomery-county-schools-religious-holidays/index.html?iref=allsearch