WCPS calendar update for this school year; next two school year calendars released

Washington County Public Schools has released the school calendars for the next two school years as well as added three early dismissal days for students this school year.

The new early dismissal days align with the end of the first three marking periods.

Students will be dismissed two hours early on:

• Monday, Nov. 4
• Friday, Jan. 17
• Friday, March 21

The Washington County Board of Education and the Washington County Teachers Association agreed to add the extra early dismissal days to the school calendar to give teachers more time for grading and planning at the end of each marking period, according to a news release from the school system.

Highlights of WCPS's 2025-2026 school year

The school board also recently approved calendars for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.

• First day — Monday, Aug. 25
• Last day for students — Tuesday, June 9, with students dismissed 2 1/2 hours early. If there are no inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Monday, June 1.
• A long Halloween weekend — Two-hour early dismissal on Thursday, Oct. 30. No school for students on Friday, Oct, 31, due to a professional learning day for teachers.
• Thanksgiving break — Wednesday, Nov. 26, is a professional learning day for teachers so there is no school for students. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Thanksgiving and Friday, Nov. 28.
• Winter break — Tuesday, Dec. 23, is a two-hour early dismissal day with schools and the Center for Education Services closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 4.
• A long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend — Two-hour early dismissal on Friday, Jan. 16. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Monday, Jan. 19, and there is no school for students on Tuesday, Jan. 20, due to a professional learning day.
• Spring break — Wednesday, April 1, is a two-hour early dismissal day and there is no school for students on Thursday, April 2, due to a professional learning day for teachers. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed Friday, April 3, through Monday, April 6.
• Other early dismissal days (2 hours) — Friday, Aug. 29; Wednesday, Sept. 24; Friday, Dec. 5; Friday, Feb. 13; Friday, March 13; and Friday, May 1.
• In addition to more recognized holidays when school is closed, schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Friday, Oct. 17, for Association Day.

For the full 2025-2026 school calendar, go to https://wcpsmd.com/documents/2025-2026-wcps-calendar .

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Highlights of WCPS's 2026-2027 school year

• First day — Tuesday, Aug. 25
• Last day — Tuesday, June 8, with students dismissed 2 1/2 hours early. If there are no inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Friday, May 28.
• Thanksgiving break — Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 29.
• Winter break — School is dismissed 2 hours early on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed Thursday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 3.
• A long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend — Two-hour early dismissal on Friday, Jan. 15. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Monday, Jan. 18, and there is no school for students on Tuesday, Jan. 19, due to a professional learning day.
• Spring break — Wednesday, March 24, is a two-hour early dismissal day and there is no school for students on Thursday, March 25, due to a professional learning day for teachers. Schools and the Center for Education Services are closed Friday, March 26, through Monday, March 29.
• Other early dismissal days (2 hours) — Friday, Sept. 4; Monday, Sept. 28; Monday, Nov. 2; Monday, Dec. 7; Friday, Feb. 12; Friday, April 23; and Tuesday, May 18.
• Other professional learning day with no school for students — Tuesday, Nov. 3
• In addition to more recognized holidays when school is closed, schools and the Center for Education Services are closed on Friday, Oct. 16, for Association Day.

For the full 2026-2027 school calendar, go to https://wcpsmd.com/documents/2026-2027-wcps-calendar .

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Factors in developing calendars and highlights from WCPS

A committee that included teachers, educational support personnel and students developed the draft calendars that were presented for the board's consideration, the release states. Maximizing instructional time, state educational time requirements, negotiated agreements with school staff and testing time periods were among the factors committee members considered.

Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the third marking period will end immediately before the designated Easter holidays, resulting in an extended spring break.

Two-hour early dismissal days are included in the school calendar to provide professional learning for staff at regular intervals. Those dismissal days also are at the end of each marking period to provide teachers with more time for grading and planning.

During 2025-2026, a two-hour early dismissal day was added to the first week of school to account for the intensity of returning to school in a five-day week.

During the 2026-2027 school year, an extra professional development day was added for teachers before the first day of school. This results in students' first day of school being a Tuesday and the first week of school being four days instead of five.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: WCPS calendar update for this school year; next two school year calendars released