Montgomery County Public Schools officially kicked off the 2026-2027 school year on Tuesday, welcoming more than 150,000 students back to classrooms across the district.
MCPS shared that it begins the year with more than 12,603 educators and 1,218 bus operators. As of August 19, the school system was 99% staffed for teachers overall and 96% staffed for special education teachers. The transportation division is fully staffed, while recruitment efforts for other positions will continue throughout the year.
One of the most significant changes this year is the district’s updated cellphone regulation. Under the “No Cell, Bell to Bell” policy, students at all grade levels, including high school, must keep personal mobile devices put away from the first bell through dismissal. MCPS expects the policy to reduce classroom disruptions and help students remain focused on learning.
The district is also continuing its “Refrigerator Curriculum,” which provides families with an overview of what students will learn during the school year.Additional updates include strengthened grading and reporting practices intended to improve clarity, fairness and the measurement of student learning, along with revisions to the Student Code of Conduct. The updated code provides clearer guidance regarding expectations and progressive discipline.
The changes are part of the MCPS 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, “Future Ready,” which aims to prepare students to succeed in a changing world. District goals include having all schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland School Report Card, improving proficiency rates among students who have historically faced opportunity gaps and reaching a graduation rate of at least 95%.
MCPS also released a welcome video highlighting the first day of school across the district that can be seen below:
