Montgomery County Public Schools has confirmed that the last day of school for students will be Thursday, June 18, 2026, after the Maryland State Board of Education approved a waiver request to reduce required student attendance days.
The waiver allows MCPS to eliminate three instructional days from the calendar. Combined with converting April 15 into an early-release instructional day, the district will still meet and exceed the state’s required instructional hour minimums.
After a winter that included six weather-related closures, MCPS officials emphasized that the adjusted calendar maintains more than the required 1,080 instructional hours for elementary and middle school students and 1,170 hours for high school students.
In a message to the school community, MCPS said extending the school year further into late June would likely reduce the effectiveness of instruction due to increased absenteeism and scheduling challenges for families.
The final week of school will follow a normal schedule leading into an early release on the last day:
- Monday, June 15 will be a full day
- Tuesday, June 16 will be a full day
- Wednesday, June 17 will be a full day
- Thursday, June 18 will be an early release day and the last day of school
Friday, June 19, which falls on Juneteenth, will remain a systemwide closure for both schools and offices.
Arcola Elementary School, which operates on an innovative calendar, will have its last day on June 17.
MCPS also noted that it is working on a plan to better handle future weather-related disruptions. The district is preparing to submit an Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Plan to the Maryland State Department of Education, which would allow instruction to continue remotely during multi-day closures if approved.
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