School board adopts calendar
Spring break preserved; start times to be unchanged in 2018-19
Howard County’s school calendar for the 2018-2019 academic year will give students a traditional spring break, but forgoes a traditional Presidents Day holiday.
School board members approved the calendar at a meeting this past week, and also voted to retain current start and dismissal times for next year — rescinding a motion made in February to implement later start times beginning in 2018.
Board member Kirsten Coombs said on Facebook that any changesto start and dismissal times are “dead,” though some programmatic changes are possible.
The calendar decision comes as a way to meet Gov. Larry Hogan’s requirement that Maryland public schools start after Labor Day and end by June 15.
In 2019, spring break for county public schools will be April 15-22, but students will attend school April 15, 16 and 17 if the school system needs to make up for inclement weather.
In Maryland, the school year must have a minimum of 180 days. School officials said opening on Presidents Day brings flexibility to the calendar. Superintendent Michael Martirano said he will request a waiver from the state Board of Education to allow students to attend school on the President’s Day holiday Feb. 18.
On the proposal to change start times, a Start and Dismissal Time Committee had presented the board with four alternatives to the current times. The proposals came after a four-year study of the issue.
Elementary schools currently start between 8:35 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. and dismiss between 3:05 p.m. and 3:55 p.m.
Middle schools start between 7:40 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. and dismiss between 2:40 p.m. and 3:10 p.m., and high schools start at 7:25 a.m. and dismiss at 2:10 p.m.
The boardvoted in February to have all schools begin after 8 a.m. but before 9:25 a.m. – a decision board member Sandra French and former board member Christine O’Connor disagreed with due to issues including before- and after-school activities and transportation. The decision would have had dismissal times beginning at 2:45 p.m.
The committee’s report said that each model to change the start times required more school buses, increasing the school system’s budget by $6 million to $9 million per year.
“I realize many are disappointed in the start times decision,” Coombs wrote on her Facebook page after the board’s decision against making a change. “What I’d like to do is have some innovation on doing some staggering with some programmatic opportunities, which we have directed Dr. Martirano to explore. … I wanted my daughter to go to [high school] later next year, but I can’t think of where I’m advocating for $6 million to be
School board members approved the calendar at a meeting this past week, and also voted to retain current start and dismissal times for next year — rescinding a motion made in February to implement later start times beginning in 2018.
Board member Kirsten Coombs said on Facebook that any changesto start and dismissal times are “dead,” though some programmatic changes are possible.
The calendar decision comes as a way to meet Gov. Larry Hogan’s requirement that Maryland public schools start after Labor Day and end by June 15.
In 2019, spring break for county public schools will be April 15-22, but students will attend school April 15, 16 and 17 if the school system needs to make up for inclement weather.
In Maryland, the school year must have a minimum of 180 days. School officials said opening on Presidents Day brings flexibility to the calendar. Superintendent Michael Martirano said he will request a waiver from the state Board of Education to allow students to attend school on the President’s Day holiday Feb. 18.
On the proposal to change start times, a Start and Dismissal Time Committee had presented the board with four alternatives to the current times. The proposals came after a four-year study of the issue.
Elementary schools currently start between 8:35 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. and dismiss between 3:05 p.m. and 3:55 p.m.
Middle schools start between 7:40 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. and dismiss between 2:40 p.m. and 3:10 p.m., and high schools start at 7:25 a.m. and dismiss at 2:10 p.m.
The boardvoted in February to have all schools begin after 8 a.m. but before 9:25 a.m. – a decision board member Sandra French and former board member Christine O’Connor disagreed with due to issues including before- and after-school activities and transportation. The decision would have had dismissal times beginning at 2:45 p.m.
The committee’s report said that each model to change the start times required more school buses, increasing the school system’s budget by $6 million to $9 million per year.
“I realize many are disappointed in the start times decision,” Coombs wrote on her Facebook page after the board’s decision against making a change. “What I’d like to do is have some innovation on doing some staggering with some programmatic opportunities, which we have directed Dr. Martirano to explore. … I wanted my daughter to go to [high school] later next year, but I can’t think of where I’m advocating for $6 million to be
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