ROCK HALL — It is going to be a post-Labor Day start for students here in the next school year.
The Kent County Board of Education unanimously approved the 2023-24 school calendar at a meeting Monday, Feb. 13, 2023
The Kent County Public Schools calendar committee, including administrators, teachers, support staff and families, put together two calendars for the board to review.
An online survey was pushed out seeking community input on the two proposed calendars, one with a pre-Labor Day start and one with classes beginning after Labor Day.
With 386 responses, 66.1% preferred the post-Labor Day start calendar. The demographic split was 49.7% of respondents were staff members, 42.5% were parents and 7.8% were community members.
Board member Trish McGee motioned for the board to approve the post-Labor Day calendar, citing the survey results.
“I think one of the most compelling reasons is twice as many people voted for that as the pre-Labor Day calendar,” McGee said in making her motion.
Included in the unanimous vote for the post-Labor Day start was student member of the board Brayden Wallace.
Labor Day falls on Monday, September 4, 2023 with Kent County Public Schools beginning the academic year with its traditional staggered start.
The first day for grades one through six and high school freshmen on the now approved calendar is Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Grades seven and eight and 10 through 12 begin Wednesday, September 6. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten start school on Thursday, September 7.
Included in the calendar are early dismissal days and school closure days throughout the year to provide professional development time for teachers and staff.
There will be a three-day weekend starting Friday, October 20 for the Maryland State Education Association conference.
Thanksgiving break begins Wednesday, November 22.
Winter break will run Friday, Dec. 22 through Monday, January 1, 2024.
Additional holiday breaks in January and February are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day.
Spring break begins Thursday, March 28 with students returning to school Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
The calendar includes a late break starting with a half day Thursday, May 9 and schools closed Friday, May 10.
The school year winds down in mid-June. Wednesday, June 12 will be a half day at the middle and high schools. The last day of school for all grades is a half day Thursday, June 13, 2024.
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~ KCPS