Summer vacation will come a couple of days earlier than expected for Howard County’s public school students.

The last day of school has been moved from Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 13.

Superintendent Sydney Cousin requested permission to change the last day from State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick for several reasons, including a desire to avoid breaking up high school students' final exam schedules, rising fuel costs and requests from parents, schools spokeswoman Patti Caplan said.

In granting Cousin's request, Grasmick waived the state requirement that students attend 180 instruction days each school year, meaning Howard students will attend school 179 days this year.

Grasmick approved the change in part because, despite the lost day, Howard students will have received enough state-mandated hours of instruction time this school year, Caplan said.

Elementary and middle school students must have 1,080 hours of instruction, while high school students must have 1,170 hours.

Thanks to the earlier closing date, the final exam schedule for high school students will shift accordingly, beginning on June 10.

All schools will close three hours early on June 11, 12 and 13.

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