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Board hears calendar survey: 2,517 responses, strong support for traditional calendar and virtual inclement‑weather option
Summary
Charles County Public Schools staff told the board that 2,517 people responded to the 2027–28 calendar survey; 68% prefer a traditional calendar, 1,964 support a two‑week winter break and 1,880 parents backed a virtual inclement‑weather plan, though many raised concerns about device access and younger students' screen time.
Miss Mackey, a Charles County Public Schools staff member who presented the district's calendar survey at the May 19 work session, said the system received 2,517 responses, roughly half from parents and 375 from students. "We had a total of 2,517 responses," she said, and summarized the major preferences: 68 percent favored the traditional calendar model versus 32 percent for a modified model, and 1,964 respondents supported keeping a two‑week winter break.
The survey also recorded support for a weeklong spring break (2,175 respondents) and substantial interest in a virtual inclement‑weather plan: 1,880 parents said they would support a plan requiring a minimum of four hours of live virtual instruction on a weather day. At the same time, Miss Mackey relayed open‑text concerns: unreliable internet or power in some areas, multiple school‑aged children in the same household, and the difficulty of teaching very young students online.
Vice Chair Thomas and other board members asked about survey design for households with multiple children and suggested the system make it clearer that parent‑teacher conference slots can be virtual. Dr. Navarro noted that teachers and families already communicate frequently through district tools and described the district's transition from TalkingPoints to a new platform, Rooms, aimed at consolidating communication.
Board members emphasized that certain calendar choices are constrained by state law, including specific holidays and election‑day closures. Several directors urged the district to include a short public explanation when it publishes calendars so community members understand which closures are required by law and which are locally adopted.
The board did not take an action at the meeting. Miss Mackey said staff will bring one recommended model back for board action next month.
