Joppatowne High students will be in school a few days later than the rest of Harford County’s public schools. The school’s last day is now set for June 23, while all other schools in the district will end June 20.
Joppatowne High School closed for several days this school year as other public schools remained open. Following a Sept. 6 fatal shooting in a school bathroom, the high school was closed for four days — Sept. 9, 10, 11 and 20. A funeral for student Warren Grant, 15, was held Sept. 20.
Jaylen Prince, a 16-year-old Joppatowne High student, is charged as an adult in the shooting.
The Maryland State Department of Education granted a waiver of the 180-day requirement for Joppatowne High, forgiving the four days off related to Grant’s death due to the impact the shooting had on the school community.
The school requested a waiver for another closure on Dec. 19, when the high school closed to allow students and staff the opportunity to attend a funeral for Niesha Jones, 46, a community schools specialist at the school. The state board denied a waiver request for the Dec. 19 closure.
According to the public school system’s Manager of Communications Jillian Lader, Joppatowne High School students will be dismissed three hours early on the June 23 make-up day.
“In general terms, MSDE shared that they cautiously exercise waiver authority and generally grant waivers only for health and safety concerns and other unavoidable emergencies,” Lader said.
The final day of school could still change depending on any future inclement weather closings. As of this week, Harford schools had used five of its six inclement weather closures built into this year’s calendar.
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