Update – 12:30 p.m. – The Maryland State Board of Education voted today to allow school systems to apply for waivers for up to three school days from the required 180-instructional day requirement after many districts closed schools for several days due to snow this year.
The board did not make any decisions on specific waiver requests from school systems Tuesday. So far, eleven school systems, including Montgomery County Public Schools, have requested waivers. The board authorized state superintendent Lillian M. Lowery to make decisions on a case-by-case basis on the requests.
There is no timetable currently on when those decisions will be made, according to the state board.
MCPS is requesting three days be waived from the required 180-day requirement, which the school system says would save about $2 million.
Last year, the state board authorized school systems to waive up to five instructional days.
Original report – 9 a.m. – March 24
Local students could find out today if they’ll have to return to school after June 12 to make up the three snow days that went beyond the four days built into the district’s calendar.
The Maryland State Board of Education is scheduled to take action on calendar modifications requested by county school systems today at 11:40 a.m.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) requested that three days be waived to allow the school system to end classes June 12, as originally scheduled. MCPS closed school for seven days due to snow this winter, three more days than the school system had built into its calendar. State law requires school districts to hold at least 180 instructional days per year, which would mean MCPS would have to make up three extra days, unless the state board approves the waiver.