Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) has used three traditional inclement weather days, as required by the State. Virtual Learning Days could not be used until this occurred. Since we met this criterion, GCPS is preparing for the possibility of a Virtual Learning Day on Monday, January 26, 2026. All necessary learning materials will be sent home with students today, Friday, January 23, 2026. No decision has been made at this time. A message will be sent through our regular media outlets and school system alerts no later than 6:00 a.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026, regarding whether a virtual learning day will be implemented.
As established on the Approved 2025-26 GCPS Calendar, a three-hour early dismissal is planned for Monday, January 26, 2026. This Professional Day provides an opportunity for teachers to bring closure to the first semester/2nd grading term. This day no longer floats as it did in prior years. If GCPS shifts to a virtual learning day on Monday, the three-hour early dismissal will occur, and students should follow the schedule provided by their school.
Due to the potential impact of this system, plans are in place to utilize additional Virtual Learning Days, if needed. Full details of the 2025-26 GCPS Virtual Learning Plan are available on the homepage of our website, www.gcps.net.
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ: ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐/๐๐/๐๐
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Both schools and offices will be closed. GCPS is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. For full calendar details, please visit www.gcps.net/calendars.
๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ
During the January 13, 2026, Board Meeting, the proposed Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) 2026-27 school calendar, developed by the GCPS Calendar Committee, was approved. It is now available on the Public Relations page of our website: www.gcps.net/public-relations, under the GCPS Calendars tab. The Calendar Committee, which consisted of parents, staff, administrators, and a Board member, met in November & December 2025, and January 2026.
The approved calendar features a pre-Labor Day start, with students returning to school on August 31, 2026, and the school tentatively concluding on June 3, 2027. Professional development days are scheduled throughout the year. The 91st day of school is scheduled for January 28, 2027. Students will be dismissed three hours early on this day. The day will NOT move (or โfloatโ) as it has in the past.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held once, on February 1, 2027, tentatively planned to occur from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. All major holidays are also school holidays. Additional holidays include October 9, 2026 (Autumn Glory Friday), November 3, 2026 (Election Day), November 30, 2026 (Thanksgiving Monday), and March 29, 2027 (Easter Monday).
Three make-up days are scheduled during the school year to account for potential inclement weather: February 15, March 29, and June 4, 2027. These make-up dates are marked with snowflakes on the calendar and will be used in numerical order as possible make-up days. Since it's impossible to predict inclement weather days or emergency system-wide closings, it is recommended that vacations not be scheduled until at least after June 11th to avoid any scheduling conflicts. If additional days are needed, the school year will be extended to meet the state requirement of 180 days.
๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก, ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ.
This bacterium is found in the nose, throat, and mouth of an infected person and can be easily spread. Pertussis can occur at any age, but it often causes serious problems in babies, and is usually milder in older children and adults. Children who are too young to be fully vaccinated and those who have not received all their vaccinations are at the highest risk for severe illness and complications. Complications of pertussis can include pneumonia (infection of the lungs), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), seizures, and other physical and medical outcomes associated with a severe cough.
๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง-๐ญ๐จ-๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
Pertussis is spread to others by direct, close contact with secretions from the nose, throat, and mouth of an infected person. Droplets from a cough or a sneeze can spread the disease to others. A person with pertussis may be contagious for as long as 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after symptoms begin (if untreated). Anyone with pertussis should not attend childcare, school, work, or other public places until they have completed 5 days of an appropriate antibiotic treatment.
๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐:
๐นLow fever
๐นRunny nose
๐นCough that is mild at first, then severe with times of deep, rapid coughing and a crowing or high-pitched โwhoopโ. The cough often worsens at night.
๐นVomiting after coughing
Symptoms occur within 5 to 21 days (usually 7 to 10 days) after someone has been exposed to an infected person.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
People who think they may have pertussis should see a doctor or their local health department to find out if they need to be tested. The preferred method of testing is to swab the back of the nose for culture or other special pertussis testing.
๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ.
Pertussis is treated with an antibiotic, and if treated soon enough, the antibiotic may decrease the contagiousness and severity of the disease.
๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐/๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ.
People in close contact may include:
๐นPersons who live in the same house;
๐นPersons who have contact with mouth or nose secretions, such as through a cough or sneeze, or sharing food and eating utensils;
๐นPersons who have done medical treatments such as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or intubation; or
๐นClose contacts in child and daycare settings, schools, work, or extracurricular activities.
๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐.
Every child should get the pertussis vaccine at 2, 4, 6, and 15 to 18 months of age, and another dose at 4 to 6 years of age. A single dose of pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) is recommended for adolescents ages 11 to 18, and for adults 19-64 who received their last Td booster greater than or equal to10 years ago. The Tdap vaccine is especially recommended for all healthcare workers and adults in close contact with infants. Age-appropriate vaccination is required for enrollment in Maryland childcare institutions and schools. For additional information about the pertussis vaccine, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/
UPDATE 12/16/2026:
Based on information received from the Maryland State Board and the State Superintendent, calendar modification requests will not be accepted until the January State Board Meeting of the current school year. This makes Presidentsโ Day the earliest holiday on which a local school system may request the State Board for schools to be open on a holiday due to inclement weather. The State Board and the State Superintendent of Schools strongly recommended that local school systems refrain from designating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an inclement weather recovery day in their school calendars, as noted in the previously proposed 2026-27 calendar linked above. The calendar committee reconvened on December 15, 2025, to discuss this change. As a result, the committee determined that community input was necessary to finalize the proposed calendar, particularly regarding the placement of built-in snow make-up days and the graduation date. Once the survey closes, the calendar committee will reconvene to propose an updated calendar at the January 13, 2026, Board meeting.
Update 12/11/25 3:15 pm:
Based on information received from the Maryland State Board and the State Superintendent, it will not be possible to use Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a make-up day for inclement weather, as noted in the proposed 2026-27 calendar. The Calendar Committee will reconvene, and a revised proposed calendar will be posted soon.
GCPS is Now Accepting Feedback for the Proposed 2026-27 School Calendar
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) is collecting feedback on the proposed 2026-27 school year calendar. The feedback collected will be provided to the Garrett County Board of Education (GCBOE) members. The calendar and feedback form may be found under the "Calendars" tab on the Public Relations page of the website: www.gcps.net/calendars.
For the 2026-27 calendar, the Calendar Committee has recommended a pre-Labor Day start of August 31, 2026, with a scheduled end date of June 3, 2027. There are nine (9) Professional Development Days built into the calendar, one per month beginning in September and running through May. There are three make-up days built into the calendar, but if necessary, additional days will be added at the end of the school year. Of note, MD Statute ยง7โ103.2 requires school systems to utilize the make-up days built into the calendar before implementing Virtual Learning. Therefore, based on the proposed calendar, GCPS must have three (3) traditional inclement weather days before a virtual learning day may be implemented.
Additionally, the Calendar Committee recommends adopting a standard practice for determining whether the annual school calendar will begin before or after Labor Day. Under this recommendation, September 5th will serve as the official marker:
โข If Labor Day falls before September 5th, the committee will create a postโLabor Day calendar.
โข If Labor Day falls on or after September 5th, the committee will create a preโLabor Day calendar.
Please review the calendar in its entirety before providing feedback. All information collected will be shared with the Board and posted to BoardDocs under the January 13, 2026, meeting agenda item. Please use the Google Form to provide feedback on the calendar selections you believe are in students' best interests. Written comments may also be submitted via mail or by email to the following address:
Garrett County Public Schools
Attn: Public Relations Office
770 Dennett Road
Oakland, MD 21550
public.info@gcps.net
Feedback will be accepted through Thursday, January 1, 2026. The Board will review each comment before voting on the calendar at the January 13, 2026, Board Meeting.
This week, GCPS proudly celebrates the strength that comes from honoring every studentโs unique abilities, experiences, and perspectives. Inclusive Schools Week is a reminder of our shared commitment to creating welcoming, supportive learning environments where all students feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
Thank you to our students, families, educators, and staff for working together to build classrooms that embrace diversity and foster belonging every day.
Together, we are a stronger, more inclusive community. ๐
Today, GCPS celebrates our amazing Substitute Educatorsโdedicated professionals who step in with flexibility, patience, and care to keep learning moving forward. Thank you for your commitment to our schools and for helping ensure that teaching and learning never miss a beat! ๐
If you're interested in becoming a substitute educator, please be on the lookout for our next sub training, which will take place in January 2026.
This week, GCPS proudly celebrates our incredible educators, support staff, students, and families who make learning possible every day. Every role matters in helping our students grow, achieve, and thrive.
Join us in thanking the dedicated individuals who keep GCPS moving forward and make our schools vibrant, welcoming places to learn.
#AmericanEducationWeek #GCPSMD #ThankATeacher #PublicSchoolsStrong
The Garrett County Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the Dennett Road Educational Complex in the Community Room. The meeting is open to the public and will be live-streamed for public review.
Public comment for the October Board Meeting will begin at 4:00 p.m., after which time the Board will go into executive session until 5:40 p.m. to discuss personnel topics. The Board of Education will reconvene for its public session from 6:00 p.m. โ 7:15 p.m. Time is set aside during the public session for the hearing of constituents at approximately 7:00 p.m. Please note that this time is approximate, and public comment may be adjusted based on the timing of the presentations.
Topics excluded from Public Comment include:
โข Individual personnel issues
โข Comments identifying individual students or staff members
โข Matters that are on appeal or may be appealed or have been appealed.
โข Topics for which the Board schedules formal public hearings
โข Advertising or solicitation for products and/or services
The agenda for the Public Session can be accessed at BoardDocs - https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/garrett/Board.nsf/Public. The agenda is not considered final until the Board takes action to accept it at the start of each meeting.
Part or all of the meeting may be closed pursuant to the General Provision ยง3-305 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Student progress reports for the first grading period will be released today, Thursday, October 2, 2025. Schools will release the progress reports according to their school-specific policy. Please refer to your student handbook or contact your school office with any questions.
A reminder from GCPS: Parents/Guardians have the option to opt their child out of the Family Life and Human Sexuality objectives included in the Health Education Framework. To support informed decision-making, parents and guardians are encouraged to review the health education instructional materials, which are available at each school. If you have questions about the opt-out process or would like to review the materials, please contact your childโs school directly.
Please take note of the following calendar reminder from Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS). GCPS will dismiss students three (3) hours early on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, for staff development in the afternoon. Staff will participate in school-based professional learning in the afternoon. Full calendar details are available at https://www.gcps.net/page/gcps-calendars.
The GCPS Food & Nutrition Services Dept. is excited to add several new LOCAL items to the menu this year. The first item is a whole-grain-rich pepperoni roll, which will be served on Wednesday, September 10th, made by Chico Bakery in Morgantown, WV. The second item is a Chesapeake Blue Catfish cake, which will be served on Friday, September 12th, made from Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish at Tilghman Seafood in Tilghman Island, Maryland.
The Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) Department would like to remind families that next week will be the final week for meal handouts. To ensure students have meals beyond the programโs end date, FNS will be providing 10 days of meals instead of the normal 7 days during the final distribution.
๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ:
If you have not yet registered for the Summer Food Service program, you must bring your children with you to receive meals.
GCPS thanks all participating families for their support of the meal distribution program and encourages everyone to plan ahead for the last pick-up.
For more information, please contact Mr. Scott Germain, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services, via phone at 301.334.8917 or 888.262.2792, or via email at scott.germain@gcps.net.
๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ. ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) Transportation Department is pleased to announce that bus pass information is now available for the 2025โ26 school year. Student bus passes will remain unchanged from last year, meaning families do not need to update their childโs bus pass unless there is a change in transportation needs for the coming school year. If a change to a studentโs bus pass is needed, parents/guardians should use the following link as soon as possible to allow for timely updates: https://www.gcps.net/page/parent-forms.
โWeโre excited to welcome students back to school and want to ensure that transportation is as seamless as possible,โ said Mr. Ronald Bray, GCPS Supervisor of Transportation. โKeeping the same bus passes for returning students helps simplify the process for families and our staff.โ
In addition, bus stop information for all GCPS students is now available. Families are encouraged to review their childโs stop location and time to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
For more information or to review bus stop details, visit the GCPS Transportation webpage at https://www.gcps.net/page/transportation or contact the department at 301-334-8907 or transportation@gcps.net.
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) is pleased to announce that beginning with the 2025โ26 school year, all students enrolled in GCPS will receive free breakfast and lunch every school day through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
The approval of CEP for GCPS means that families will no longer need to complete meal benefit applications or worry about meal costs during the school year. This district-wide implementation ensures equitable access to nutritious meals for every student, supporting both academic success and overall well-being.
โRemoving barriers to healthy meals is a major step forward for our school system,โ said Mr. Scott Germain, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services. โWhen students are well-nourished, they are better able to focus, learn, and succeed. We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to all of our families.โ
The CEP is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows eligible school systems to provide free meals to all students without collecting individual applications. GCPS became eligible by meeting federal criteria based on identified student data, including participation in programs like SNAP and TANF.
To learn more about the CEP program as it relates to GCPS, please visit https://www.gcps.net/page/community-eligibility-provision or contact Mr. Germain at 301-334-8917 or scott.germain@gcps.net.
On this #GCPSMDWellnessWednesday, we focus on keeping kids active on the 4th of July by incorporating games and outdoor activities. Here are some ideas to be active on Independence Day.
- Flag Relay Race: Split kids into teams and have them race to collect American flags from buckets.
- Red, White, and Blue Tag: Play a patriotic twist on traditional tag. Designate a "red", "white", or "blue" player to tag others.
- Hula Hoop Contest: See who can hula hoop the longest or try different tricks.
- Water Balloon Toss: A classic summer game that gets everyone moving and laughing.
- Lawn Game Olympics: Set up stations with cornhole, giant Jenga, ring toss, and sack races.
- Family Walk/Hike: Enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise by walking or hiking to a nearby park or viewing spot.
- Bike Parade: Decorate bikes and scooters with red, white, and blue decorations and hold a parade.
- Visit a Park: Explore state or national parks with activities like swimming, fishing, hiking, and stargazing.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of nature items for kids to find in a park or backyard.
- Sidewalk Chalk Art: Let kids create patriotic designs on the sidewalk with chalk.
Remember to...
- Supervise children closely, especially when they are around water, fireworks, or open flames.
- Stay hydrated by providing plenty of water, especially on hot days.
- Incorporate educational elements in activities by discussing the history of the Fourth of July and the meaning of Independence Day.
- Adjust activities for all ages by adapting activities to suit the age and abilities of all the children involved.
Have a safe, fun, active 4th of July!
