Dear Somerset County Public Schools Families, Staff, and Community
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. I hope this season brings rest, reflection, and quality time with family and friends.
This week, Monday, November 24, and Tuesday, November 25, were used as make-up school days for inclement weather closures earlier this fall. These dates were pre-identified as potential make-up days when the 2025–2026 academic calendar was approved. Though many families, students and staff may have hoped for a full week off at Thanksgiving, using these days now protects valuable instructional time and helps prevent the need to extend the school year in June. These make-up days also support our high school students enrolled in semester-based courses, allowing them to recover instructional time within the semester so teachers can cover all required material before final exams are administered in January.
As always, student attendance throughout the year is essential to academic success. Missing 18 days—or 10% of the 180-day school year—meets the Maryland State Department of Education’s definition of chronic absenteeism. This measure includes all absences, whether they are excused or unexcused, because any missed instructional time affects a student’s learning and overall academic progress. Students who are showing symptoms of a communicable illness should stay home; however, if your student is facing other attendance challenges, please contact your school’s guidance department. We are here to partner with you and support your student’s success.
As we enter the holiday season, we look forward to welcoming you to the many concerts, programs, and celebrations taking place across the county. December also marks the opening of our winter athletics season, and we are excited to cheer on our student-athletes. Together, these events showcase the dedication, creativity, and hard work of our students and staff, and we hope you will join us in supporting them.
Looking ahead, I will continue working closely with our leadership team to evaluate instructional programs that support stronger academic outcomes, develop our FY27 operating budget, and review our school security practices and technology. The community may also see SCPS staff demonstrating new security technology at upcoming winter sporting events as part of this review process.
Thank you for your continued support of Somerset County Public Schools. I wish each of you a safe, happy, and restful Thanksgiving.
Warm regards,
W. David Bromwell
Interim Superintendent
Somerset County Public Schools