Calendar for Coming School Year Makes Changes to Anticipate Snow Days

While the odds are hopefully slim that next winter will be as brutal as this winter, the Anne Arundel County Public Schools calendar has made some changes to next year to better handle makeup days.

And a word of warning to parents: Don't schedule vacation for Easter/Spring break or the last week of school.

The biggest changes in the 2014-2015 school year calendar unanimously approved last week are the addition of another makeup day, and plans to use some of Easter/Spring break if needed.

Under the revisions approved by the board last week, five days are built into the calendar for inclement weather closings, as opposed to the four included in past years, says the school district. Should more than five days be necessary, the sixth through ninth days will be taken, in order, from the first four days of Easter/Spring break (March 30, 2015, through April 2, 2015).

The calendar also says that should any or all of the sixth through ninth days be needed for makeup days after April 2, 2015, the days would be added onto the end of the school year. Any additional days necessary beyond the ninth day, regardless of when they occur, would also be added to the end of the school year.

“These changes come in light of tremendous response to a survey of parents, students, and employees, and should allow everyone to have a clear understanding of the process our school system intends to follow with regard to makeup days,” Interim Superintendent Mamie J. Perkins said. “Because we cannot predict the number of days we will need for inclement weather, I would urge parents and employees not to schedule vacations for Easter/Spring break or for the week that classes are scheduled to end in June.”

Under the approved calendar, schools and offices would still be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with no plans to use those days as makeup days.

The 2014-2015 school year is scheduled to start on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, and end on Thursday, June 18, 2015.

The complete calendar can be found at www.aacps.org.