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DENTON – The Caroline County Board of Education heard recommendations for altering the current academic calendar to make up for multiple inclement weather days, and voted to accept a draft 2026-2027 school year calendar with a pre-Labor Day start, at their February 3 Board meeting.
CCPS had built three “snow days” into the calendar for the 2025-2026 school year. With one day missed in December and almost an entire week in late January missed, the school system must make up two days to remain within the state’s requirement of 180 school days per academic year. Superintendent Dr. Derek Simmons recommended that CCPS change President’s Day on February 16 from a day off to a school day, and change March 16 from a staff professional development day to a regular school day. His rationale for each of these days was “to preserve Spring break” and keep the school year from creeping any further into June. The Board voted to accept his recommendation.
The 2025-2026 school year will end with a half-day on June 17. Due to another decision made at the same Board meeting, students and families now know when K-12 students will be expected back in school – Wednesday, August 26.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tara Downes presented the three draft school calendars for next year, which were developed by the School System Improvement Council and Citizens Advisory Council. One draft included a post-Labor Day start, and the other two had a pre-Labor Day starts, one in August and the other in September. Labor Day is coming late this year on September 7, which would mean that students would not be in school until September 8.
A survey was sent out in January to stakeholders and families with the three draft calendars. The draft with an August 26 start was the favorite of 53.4% of those who took the survey, and the Board voted unanimously to accept that draft calendar.
