Should School Start Before Or After Labor Day? BCPS Opens Survey

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County Public Schools wants to hear from the public about when schools should begin for the 2019–2020 academic year. The school system has opened up an online survey to gather input, asking whether the first day of school should be Monday, Aug. 26, or Tuesday, Sept. 3.

The survey comes after the Maryland General Assembly overturned an executive order by Gov. Larry Hogan that schools must start after Labor Day and after Baltimore County passed a budget that did not account for an additional 15 minutes that school officials built into the school-day, from 6.5 hours to 6.75 hours.

Since the calendar that the Baltimore County Board of Education approved in March will not account for 180 days and 1,170 student hours at the high school level required by law in Maryland, the school system is proposing two calendars.

Take the online survey through Friday, May 31.

• Pre Labor Day start: Schools would start on Monday, Aug. 26, and end for students on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The calendar calls for a 10-day spring break, including six school days, from Monday, April 6, 2020, to Monday, April 13, 2020. Teachers would start the school year on Tuesday, Aug. 20, and the last day for teachers would be Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
• Post Labor Day start: Schools would on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and end for students on Friday, June 19, 2020. The calendar calls for a shortened spring break, from Wednesday, April 8, 2020, to Monday, April 13, 2020. Spring break would be six days, including four school days. Teachers would start on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and the last day for teachers would be Monday, June 22, 2020.

The Baltimore County Board of Education will vote on the 2019-2020 calendar during its meeting on Tuesday, June 11.

RELATED: MD Schools Can Start Before Labor Day, Hogan Veto Overturned

Pre Labor Day Start

Post Labor Day start