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Board approves 2026–27 calendar date changes, rejects motion to label breaks 'Christmas' and 'Easter'
Summary
Calvert County's board approved a revision to the 2026–27 calendar to add inclement-weather makeup days and authorized the 2027–28 calendar to be posted for 30 days of public comment; a motion to change 'winter/spring recess' language to 'Christmas' and 'Easter' failed 2–2.
The Calvert County Board of Education voted May 21 to revise the 2026–27 school calendar to comply with a Maryland State Department of Education requirement to identify six inclement-weather makeup days and approved posting the proposed 2027–28 calendar for 30 days of public comment.
Scott McComb, director of system and instructional performance, told the board that Maryland requires 180 student days and that a March 24, 2026 State Board resolution now calls for districts to identify six inclement-weather makeup days. McComb said the proposed 2027–28 calendar includes the six makeup days (three built into spring semester and three at the end of the school year) and recommended moving May 28, 2027 to be used as a makeup day in the 2026–27 calendar, shifting the student final day from June 9 to June 10.
Board members asked questions about language used to label calendar breaks. Board member Paul Harrison proposed changing references from "winter recess" and "spring recess" to the words "Christmas" and "Easter" to align with COMAR benchmarks; McComb and other members explained that COMAR uses benchmark dates for holidays but does not prescribe religious labels for the full break period. When the motion to use the words "Christmas" and "Easter" split the board 2–2, the motion failed for lack of a tiebreaker.
The board voted to approve the date change to the 2026–27 calendar by recorded tally 3–1 and directed the 2027–28 calendar to be posted for a 30‑day public comment period.
What happens next: The 2027–28 calendar will be available for public review for 30 days; changes to the 2026–27 calendar will be implemented as approved and the district will ensure the makeup-day schedule complies with MSDE requirements.
