Members of the Maryland State Board of Education said Tuesday that school systems will be eligible to receive waivers of up to three days off their 180-day calendar because of winter weather that caused school to be canceled and delayed.
State Superintendent Lillian Lowery will make case-by-case decisions for each jurisdiction. Her decisions are expected soon, but no deadline has been set.
Bill Reinhard, spokesman for the state Department of Education, said officials wanted systems to first make an effort to adjust their calendars to add more days of school.
"Have they looked at (adding days to) spring break? Have they looked at the Monday after Easter? Have they looked at adding days at the end of the year?" Reinhard asked.
By state law, students are required to be in school for a minimum of 180 days and a certain number of hours each year. When school systems close numerous times during snowy winters, the state has often waived the rules. Last year, the state board offered to waive up to five days, although not all school systems received the number of days they requested waived.
So far this year in the Baltimore region, public schools in Baltimore County have asked for four days, Howard County asked for one and Carroll County asked for three days.
Baltimore County elementary and middle school students have met requirements for days and hours, but high school students are lacking about three days based on the overall hours they need — several two-hour delays because of winter weather cut significantly into high school hours, officials said.
"Right now, school is set is to end on June 19. Once we hear back from the state, it will help us answer questions about the calendar for the rest of the school year," said Baltimore County school spokesman Mychael Dickerson.
Last week, the county school board approved adding half a day of school on April 2.
Dickerson said the county applied for a four-day waiver because it feared it might have to close for more bad weather this month — or one day in late spring for heat.
Howard County also will end school June 19 if it receives the one-day waiver it requested. Carroll County cut two days from spring break, added one day to the end of the school year and asked the state to waive three days. If the county receives the waiver, the last day for students will be June 12.