Post-Labor Day Start Gets Vote From Harford County Public Schools

BEL AIR, MD — Schools will start in Harford County after Labor Day for the 2020–2021 school year. The academic year will begin for students Tuesday, Sept. 8, after a vote by the Harford County Board of Education Monday night.

Harford County Public Schools Manager of Communications Jillian Lader said her office was receiving daily inquiries from constituents as families planned their vacations and activities for the summer.

"It is becoming a challenge the further back this gets delayed," Lader said at the Jan. 13 school board meeting.

The board had been expected to vote on the calendar in December, but inclement weather resulted in cancellation of the Dec. 16 meeting, pushing the vote until January. Typically, the board is supposed to vote on the calendar eight months before school starts.

More than 600 comments were submitted about the proposed school calendar during the public comment period after the school system's calendar committee introduced its proposal in October, she said. The committee had recommended starting school before Labor Day. However, the board went in a different direction, voting Monday for the post-Labor Day start.

Here are amendments to the 2020–2021 calendar, according to Harford County Public Schools:

• Tuesday, Sept. 8: First day of school for grades 1-12, gradual entry for kindergarten
• Thursday, Sept. 10: First day of school (gradual entry) for pre-K
• Wednesday, Nov. 11: Early dismissal for schools and offices for Veterans Day
• Thursday, March 4, 2021: Schools and offices open; regular school day.
• Friday, March 5, 2021: Early dismissal for students.
• Wednesday, June 9, 2021: Last day for pre-K with no inclement weather days used
• Friday, June 11, 2021: Last day for kindergarten to 11th grade with no inclement weather days used
• Thursday, June 17, 2021: Last day for pre-K with all inclement weather days used.
• Monday, June 21, 2021: Last day for kindergarten to 11th grade with all inclement weather days used

"I want to thank the members of the Harford County Board of Education who voted last night to start school after Labor Day," said County Executive Barry Glassman, who had advocated for a post-Labor Day start to the school year. "This was a good decision for Harford County families and businesses, and our agricultural community."

This is the calendar, which was approved Monday: