Jewish Holidays Removed From School Calendar: Baltimore County School Board Proposal

TOWSON, MD — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have been recognized as holidays in Baltimore County Public Schools in years past. However, in 2018 schools may be open for all students on those Jewish holidays.

That's because schools are tasked with modifying the calendar to fit within the new framework outlined by the governor, starting after Labor Day and ending by June 15. They also have to meet state education standards, which mandate 180 days of instruction for students, and they need to build in days for inclement weather.

To account for that, the school board is proposing schools remaining open on Sept. 10 and Sept. 19, which are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, respectively.

See the proposals that the Baltimore County Board of Education has put together below. The board invites the public to comment on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at its Greenwood Campus, 6901 N. Charles Street, Building E, Towson, MD 21204.

The Baltimore Jewish Council's executive director told WBAL that it would be a "challenge for the system to try and be efficient," due to the number of Jewish teachers and students who would have to miss school.

• Baltimore County School Board Seeks Input On Proposed Calendar, School Climate, Discipline
• Maryland School Start Date: Governor Orders No School Before Labor Day

BCPS School Calendar Proposal Option A by Elizabeth Janney on Scribd

Main image via Pexels. Slides from BCPS PowerPoint via BoardDocs.