2018 – 2019 School Year Calendar

Board of Education Takes Action on 2018-2019 Calendar (11/14/2017)

The Board of Education adopted the school year calendar for the 2018-2019 school year during its Nov. 14, 2017 meeting. The school year will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, and the last day of school is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2019. The calendar includes 182 days of instruction; a shortened spring break; two closure days for planning and professional development; and two operational closures that coincide with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

MCPS has received many questions from the community about how decisions about the calendar are made. See frequently asked questions about the calendar process.

See the full calendar by clicking the image below.

2018 calendar update

More Information

Board of Education Policy IDA, School Year Calendar, calls for the Policy Management Committee to review the draft 2018-2019 School Υear Calendar prior to its presentation to the full Board for adoption. A July 12, 2017 memorandum from the Chief Operating Officer to the Board of Education Policy Management Committee provides a general outline of the calendar parameters for the 2018-2019 school year, as well as other scheduling elements that will need to be considered as the calendar is developed. The overall time frame of the school year calendar established by Governor Larry Hogan's Executive Order of August 31, 2016 (amended October 11 , 2016), remains in place for the 2018-2019 school year. The general parameters of the calendar based on state requirements are as follows:

  • First day of school : Tuesday, September 4, 2018
  • Last permissible day of instruction: Friday, June 14, 2019
  • Minimum number of days of instruction: 180

Closings Required by State Law

  • Tuesday, November 6, 2018: Election Day
  • Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, 2018: Thanksgiving and the day after
  • Monday, December 24, 2018 through Tuesday, January 1, 2019: Christmas Eve through January 1
  • Monday, January 21, 2019: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Monday, February 18, 2019: Presidents’ Day
  • Friday, April 19, 2019: the Friday before Easter
  • Monday, April 22, 2019: the Monday after Easter
  • Monday, May 27, 2019: Memorial Day

Emergency Closings

The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) requires that school systems account for two types of snow make-up days:

  1. make adjustments to make up instruction within the school year calendar; and
  2. show that the school year has been extended by three days.

This means that the 180th day of scheduled instruction must be on or before June 11, 2019, and that other days within the year will have to be identified as possible make-up instructional days.

Related Documents

Read: Board of Education Policy IDA

Read: Dr. Andrew Zuckerman's Memorandum to Members of the Policy Management Committee (July 12, 2017)

Read: Dr. Andrew Zuckerman’s Memorandum to Members of the Policy Management Committee (September 19, 2017)

Read: Dr. Andrew Zuckerman’s Message to Staff Regarding the Development of the 2018–2019 School Calendar

Other Documents Related to Calendar Setting

Timeline of Informational Events

July 12    Policy Management Committee Presentation: Introduction to SY18-19 Calendar Guidelines & Parameters
August 15   Internal Staff Work Group Introductory & Overview Meeting
August 22   Outcome of proposed amendment to COMAR 13A.02.01.04, Length of School Year, determined by Maryland state Board of Education
August 23   Internal Staff Work Group Meeting (post-August 22 decision); outline and develop possible calendar scenarios
August 28   Internal Staff Work Group Meeting; continue to outline and develop possible calendar scenarios
August 30   External Stakeholder Work Group Meeting to present possible calendar scenarios
September 7   Employee Associations Calendar Discussion; formal comments requested by the end of September
September 14   Calendar Presentation to NAACP Parent Council
September 18   Calendar Presentation to Student Member of the Board Advisory Council (SAC)
September 19   Present calendar scenarios to Policy Management Committee; first of a series of email messages sent by Dr. Andrew Zuckerman to all MCPS employees regarding calendar
September-October   Focus Groups at schools to discuss and gather feedback from staff, parents and community members; additional email messages from Dr. Zuckerman to all MCPS employees; opportunity for public comment on MCPS calendar webpage via public drop box
Late September   Employee Associations return formal membership feedback
October 10   Board of Education All-Day Business Meeting
November 14   Board of Education All-Day Business Meeting