ROCK HALL — Kent County Public Schools staff, families and community members are invited to fill out an online survey to help in finalizing the 2023-24 academic calendar.
There are two calendars under review by the Kent County Board of Education.
The key difference between the two is one begins the school year before Labor Day and the other has a post-Labor Day start.
The calendars are available as downloads here and at the bottom of the page:
Labor Day this year falls on Monday, Sept. 4.
The pre-Labor Day calendar continues Kent County Public Schools' traditional staggered start to the year with students in grades one through six and high school freshmen reporting for their first day on Monday, Aug. 28. Grades seven and eight and 10 through 12 begin Tuesday, Aug. 29. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten would start school on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
The first day for grades one through six and high school freshmen on the post-Labor Day calendar is Tuesday, Sept. 5, with the same staggered start for the other grades over the next two days.
Included in the calendars are early dismissal days and school closure days throughout the year to provide professional development time for teachers and staff.
Both calendars have the same three-day weekend starting Friday, Oct. 20 for the Maryland State Education Association conference, the same Thanksgiving break beginning Wednesday, Nov. 22 and the same winter break running Friday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Jan. 1.
Additional holiday breaks in January and February are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day.
The pre-Labor Day calendar shows a longer spring break, beginning with a half day for staff professional development on Thursday, March 28 and running through Sunday, April 7.
The post-Labor Day calendar's spring break begins the same day with students returning to school Wednesday, April 3.
Both calendars also include a long weekend in early May.
The pre-Labor Day start calendar starts that break with a half day for professional development on Wednesday, May 8, with schools closed Thursday and Friday, May 9 and 10.
The post-Labor Day calendar pushes the half day to Thursday, May 9 with schools closed Friday, May 10.
Both calendars end the school year in mid-June. Wednesday, June 12 would be a half day at the middle and high schools. The last day of school for all grades would be a half day Thursday, June 13.
As required by the State of Maryland, there must be 180 school days for students in the academic calendar. Both calendar options meet that requirement and include three inclement weather days.