MCPS decided that in early March they would begin to send students back to school. MCPS planned two phases for sending all of their students back to school slowly. They planned to send students back in waves to ensure an easier and safer transition back to school.
In phase 1.1, MCPS sent back all students ranging from kindergarten to the third grade, students in alternate programs, specific career and technical programs and students in multidisciplinary educational training and support programs.
On April 6, phase 1.2 began. This phase had students in grades 4-6, 12, prekindergarten, and students in specific special educational programs come back to school.
Phase 2 was accelerated to include phase 2.1 and 2.2 and began on April 19, with the return of grades 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. MCPS opened to everyone who signed up to go back, be in schools by B week beginning May 26.
The schedule during the week is the same 4-day schedule with virtual Wednesdays. The schedule remains the same, with classes starting at 9 a.m. and only having half of usual classes one of the days and the other half on the other days (block schedule) The A days or Monday and Thursdays will be the same as they were virtual with students having periods 1-4. B days have periods 5-7 and homeroom class as well.
Although students are on the same schedule of starting school at 9 a.m., students taking MCPS transportation arrive at school the same time as the normal school schedule, meaning that high school students who will take the bus will arrive at school at about 7:45 a.m. Since there will be students in school for over an hour, they have switched around the extra help from teachers from after school to before school, so that those who are in school early can use that time to go see teachers and get help if they need it.