The Harford County Board of Education approved a 2026-27 school calendar that features a pre-Labor Day start date and extended holiday breaks by a 7-1 vote on Monday night.

The board was originally scheduled to vote on the calendar Dec. 15, but the vote was taken off the agenda hours before the meeting due to board member absences and ongoing concerns about the school year’s start date and several half-days for students.

The final calendar combines elements from several earlier proposed versions. Board member Wade Sewell made a motion Monday to amend the ultimately adopted calendar, extending some student breaks and adjusting certain teacher planning days.

Harford County Public Schools has weighed a pre-Labor Day start for several recent academic years, though the two most recent began after the holiday. Class began before Labor Day in 2023.

The next school year will begin Aug. 31 and conclude June 14, or June 17 if all three of the district’s inclement weather days are used.

Sewell’s changes included moving Dec. 23 from a three-hour dismissal for students and offices to a full day off. The adjustment extends winter break, which will now be from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1.

Spring break will also be extended, adding March 22 and 23. It now runs from March 22 to 29.

Elected member Carol Mueller said she liked the lengthening spring break as it could potentially deter low attendance.

“Those are days that [parents] would take their kids out of school, and we don’t want to encourage low attendance days,” she said. “We want to try and avoid them.”

To make up for the extended holidays, Sewell suggested changing Jan. 28 from a three-hour early dismissal for students to a full day of instruction and eliminating the professional development day on Jan. 29, making it a half day for students.

With the added conditions, the finalized calendar features 10 professional development or planning days for educators and six student-only early dismissals, mainly around the end of each quarter. The first quarter ends Nov. 5, the second quarter ends Jan. 28, third quarter ends April 8 and the last quarter ends June 14.

Elected member Diane Alvarez was the only board member to vote against the calendar. Student member James McVicker III voted yes, but his vote was preferential.

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