Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) plans to request a waiver from the state so it won’t have to make up three extra days at the end of the year after a snowy winter canceled more school days than were built into the school calendar.
If the Maryland State Department of Education approves the waiver it would mean students wouldn’t have to make up days on June 15, 16 and 17. Instead the school year would end as scheduled on June 12.
MCPS spokesman Dana Tofig said on his Twitter account that the Board of Education authorized interim superintendent Larry Bowers to apply for a waiver of up to three snow days from the state. Bowers said on Tuesday during a financial report to the board that making up the snow days would cost MCPS more than $1.72 million, according to Tofig.
Tofig tempered expectations, “Snow day waiver from state is not guaranteed. Parents and students should still plan on making up the days.”
Tofig added in an email that the school system hopes the process will happen as quickly as possible so the calendar can be finalized.
So far this year the school system has canceled school seven times due to inclement weather, but the calendar only has four inclement weather days built in—hence the three extra days that may need to be added to the end of the calendar.
Last year, the school system closed a total of 10 days, which could have resulted in MCPS making up six days at the end of the school year. However, the state board agreed to a plan that allowed the school system to only make up two days.
