Harford County Public Schools has used its final inclement weather closure Wednesday — extending the school year to June 23.

Any additional closures this year may prompt the district to request that the state’s 180 school day requirement be waived.

Each year, the Harford County Board of Education approves a school year calendar with inclement weather “make-up days.” For the current school year, the board allotted six inclement weather make-up days.

Every day schools are closed due to inclement weather, one of the six make-up days is added to the end of the school year. Since Harford schools has used all six of its inclement weather closures, the last day of school will be June 23.

June 19 is a federal holiday.

The Maryland State Board of Education requires 180 days of instructional time. Should Harford schools close for more than six days of the year due to inclement weather, the local school board will either need to request that the state waive the 180-day requirement, or explore other options to meet the requirement.

Per legislation passed during the 2023 Maryland General Assembly, local school systems could conduct virtual learning on inclement weather days after all make-up days are exhausted. However, Harford schools did not implement a virtual learning plan for overflow inclement weather closures this year, forcing officials to evaluate other options should additional closures occur.

Board of Education President Aaron Poynton said Wednesday that outside of submitting a waiver, the board may look into more creative measures such as extending school days to ensure students do not lose “valuable classroom instructional time.”

Poynton said he is not opposed to extending the school day but said board members will begin discussing the district’s options after additional closures occur. Any decision regarding the submission of a waiver, the extension of the school day or other alternatives the board may favor will require a majority vote by board members.

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