Montgomery County Public Schools families will find a new-look calendar for the 2026-2027 school year, one that builds in snow days that didn't exist a year ago.

MCPS released the redesigned family calendar on Friday, Aug. 7, swapping the traditional month-view grid for a simplified format the district says makes key dates easier to spot. The change comes after an unusually severe winter during the 2025-2026 school year forced multiple rounds of scheduling adjustments to make up lost instructional time, according to Patch.

The new calendar includes 181 instructional days and designates specific weather contingency dates. If snow or ice cancels classes, MCPS can convert April 22 and May 17 from non-instructional days into school days. A second make-up window runs at the end of the year in June, with additional flexibility available before the June 19 Juneteenth holiday if needed, The MoCo Show reported.

The two outlets differ on the size of that June window: The MoCo Show reported it as June 14 through 16, while Patch listed it as June 14 through 17. The official calendar PDF was not publicly accessible to confirm the exact dates.

The Board of Education approved the revised calendar in spring 2026 after a districtwide survey drew more than 30,000 responses from families and staff. MCPS said the new format also improves readability for users with visual impairments.

The first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 25. Incoming ninth-graders at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Whitman and Walter Johnson high schools, along with incoming sixth-graders and kindergartners districtwide, will attend Student Transition Day on Monday, Aug. 24, a non-instructional day for students to get oriented in their new buildings. Teachers return for professional days Aug. 17 through Aug. 21.

The next Board of Education business meeting is Thursday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m.