Anne Arundel County Public Schools is committed to developing a calendar that complies with state law and contractual obligations, and which best meets the needs of its students, parents, and employees. The process for the development of the calendar is based upon factors laid out in Board of Education Policy IB and Administrative Regulation IB-RA. Development of the calendar is based on factors set forth in the policy and regulation, and includes input from members of the community.  

AACPS’ Calendar Committee, which makes a recommendation annually to the Superintendent of Schools, is made up of parents, representatives of the four employee bargaining units, and employees including administrators, teachers, and Central Office staff. The Superintendent forwards a recommendation to the Board that includes approval of the coming year’s calendar and tentative approval of the ensuing year’s calendar. This year, that will entail a formal recommendation for the 2013-2014 calendar and recommendation for a tentative 2014-2015 calendar. (The tentative 2013-2014 calendar approved by the Board last year can be viewed here) Those recommendations will be brought before the Board in November 2012.

This survey is intended for guidance only, not for the final determination of the school year calendar.  While we seek community opinion and interest, addressing the needs of students continues to be the foremost objective of the calendar development. 

Planning an Academic Calendar Year

The academic year consists of 181 instruction days for students plus a varying number of additional days for other employee groups (classroom teachers, for example, work a 191-day year).  In addition, holidays, vacations, and inclement weather days must be taken into account.  

Trade-offs are necessary in any calendar, and additional holidays or vacation days extend the overall length of the school year. For example, the later that the school year begins, the later it will end.  The addition of make-ups for emergency closings make the year even longer.  

As you answer the questions below, please keep in mind that every decision made about the calendar affects other conditions, not just the specific condition addressed in the question.
 

Take the Calendar Survey here