NEWARK – School system officials have released two similar calendar proposals for the coming year.
At a recent meeting, officials with Worcester County Public Schools presented two calendar options for the 2019-2020 school year. Both options start school Sept. 3 and set the last day of school as June 12.
“We will open the survey for these calendar options on Monday, January 7 and will be accepting feedback through February 1,” said Annette Wallace, the school system’s chief operating officer.
Wallace, who presented the calendar proposals to the Worcester County Board of Education, said that as in years past, a committee developed the calendar options.
“As is tradition, the committee was comprised of teachers, school and county level administrators, parents and students,” Wallace said.
The committee was provided with guidance on state and local mandates as well as contractual obligations for faculty and staff as they put together calendar options. The committee was then broken into groups, with “frequent flyers” tasked with developing a calendar with lengthier breaks and “surfers” asked to create a calendar with an early end to the school year.
Both calendars include a winter break that begins with an early dismissal on Friday, Dec. 20 with students returning Wed. Jan 2. Both calendars also reflect state holidays on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Wallace said a survey would be released Jan. 7 to collect community feedback on the calendar proposals.
At the school board’s February meeting, board members will be presented with survey results and will be provided with the superintendent’s recommended calendar for the coming year.
In Wicomico County, school system officials are also collecting community feedback on calendar options. At the Wicomico County Board of Education’s December meeting, options for two calendars, both of which start after Labor Day and end June 10, were presented. The difference between the two draft calendars relates only to Oct. 18, the date of the Maryland State Education Association Convention. One option would have schools closed for students on Oct. 18, with a professional day for teachers, while the other option would have schools closed on Oct. 18 for both students and school staff. The public has until Jan. 4 to comment on the proposed calendars.
