Baltimore County School Board Approves Post Labor Day Start For 2020-21 School Year
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County School Board members have made a decision- the 2020-2021 school year will start after Labor Day.
The county's teachers' union preferred the opposite, an earlier start, and an earlier end to the school year.
"We know what students are like toward the end of the school year," Cindy Sexton said. "But, in the end, those students are going to get their 1,080 days of instruction from teachers no matter what those days are."
Tonight, the Board of Education of Baltimore County voted to approve a post Labor Day start for the 2020-21 school year. School will start Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.
— Baltimore County Public Schools (@BaltCoPS) November 6, 2019
School will start on Sept. 8, 2020- a day after Labor Day. Classes will end on June 18, 2021.
President's Day and Easter Monday will be contingency make-up days with the possibility of three more days being tacked on to the end of the school year if necessary. Spring Break will be five weekdays.
Two board members voted against that plan- including Moalie Jose, who had concerns some parents will not be able to pay for children's care later into the year.
The school board chair supported the plan all the way. After some schools were forced to close on hot days, the AC issues were one of her top concerns.
"August is the hottest month statically in the state of Maryland, so that was becoming a big factor, so with the post-Labor Day start, we're safer moving away from the heat," Kathleen Causey said.
Members of the religious community also praised the plan. Advocates say for the first time, Muslim students will no longer have to choose between the EID holiday and a day at school.
The decision to start school post-Labor Day comes after months of studies and public hearings.