Thanksgiving: late November 2026. Winter break: late December 2026–early January 2027. Spring break: March–April 2027. Exact dates below apply only to the named districts, not entire states.
Most districts schedule winter break around Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Spring Break
March – April 2027
Spring break timing varies widely by district, especially in large states.
Thanksgiving Recess
Late November 2026
Check your district’s calendar for the full recess and student return date.
What this school holiday guide covers
The 2026-2027 school year does not follow one national calendar. Each state sets broad instructional requirements, while local school districts publish their own final calendars. This page gives families a quick way to compare common holiday windows before checking district-specific dates.
Use the table below to find winter district examples, spring planning windows, and district-calendar lookups for Thanksgiving and school-year dates. Each state name links to a calendar guide with more holiday details and source information.
Important note for travel planning
School holidays can vary by district, weather make-up days, board approvals, and local observances. Always confirm final dates with your school district before booking travel, camps, or childcare.
Popular state holiday calendars
Start with popular states, then browse the state and DC index below.
Winter entries open named-district examples below; spring entries are planning windows, not exact dates. Directory links support school-year and Thanksgiving lookups, not statewide holiday dates.
These 23 district examples across 20 state and DC entries cover the December–January recess, not statewide dates. Austin and Dallas are additional Texas examples beyond the Houston example used in the state index. Each calendar scope and source is listed separately below. February breaks and adjacent staff-only days are not merged into the recess.
California district winter break examples
Los Angeles Unified School District
Calendar scope: District instructional calendar; school-specific pupil-free days are separate.
Los Angeles Unified School District winter break dates
Winter break
Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027
The winter recess is separate from any school-specific January 11 pupil-free day.
Calendar scope: Family calendar for elementary and high schools; not Cincinnati Public Schools.
Chicago Public Schools winter break dates
Winter break
Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
Winter vacation is separate from the January 4 professional development day.
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Source document: EDUC_District_Calendar_626857_Calend_Fam_SY26-27_D_EN_SP_02222026. 2026–2027 Family Calendar, English and Spanish; linked from the district calendar page.
Calendar scope: DCPS school-year calendar; not every school in Washington, DC.
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) winter break dates
Winter break
Dec 22, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
December 21 staff professional development is separate from the December 22–January 1 recess.
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Source document: SY 26-27 Calendar_English_061126.pdf. Official annual publication page dated July 27, 2026; filename tag 061126 is not an approval date.
Calendar scope: Mobile County Public Schools district calendar, not all Alabama districts.
Mobile County Public Schools winter break dates
Winter break
Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
Winter break Dec 21–31 and New Year’s Day Jan 1. Jan 4 is a teacher workday; students return Jan 5.
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Source document: Mobile County Public Schools calendar (official web page). 2026-2027 School Calendar, Board approved February 25, 2026 (official web page).
Calendar scope: Montgomery County Public Schools calendar, not all Maryland school systems.
Montgomery County Public Schools winter break dates
Winter break
Dec 24, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
Schools and offices close December 24 through January 1. December 23 is an early-release day; December 28-29 are non-instructional days within the break.
Fall break is a district decision, and many districts do not have one. In the 8 named district calendars below, fall break 2026 starts between Oct 5, 2026 and Oct 26, 2026. Each date applies only to the listed district.
Fall break 2026 in named school districts. Official sources and checked dates are listed per row.
2026–27 Districtwide Calendar, Rev 12/10/2025. Checked on .
Not listed? Use your district's official calendar; state pages link to district sources. Thanksgiving, winter and spring dates are covered separately on this page and in the Spring Break guide.
When is Thanksgiving break 2026?
Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026, but the length of the break is a district decision. In the 19 named district calendars below, 8 close for the full week of November 23–27, 8 close Wednesday–Friday, November 25–27, 2 close only Thursday–Friday, and 1 uses another pattern. Each date applies only to the listed district.
No-school days for students around Thanksgiving 2026 in named school districts. Official sources and checked dates are listed per row.
Some districts call their Thanksgiving week "fall break"; those rows say so. Early-dismissal days before the break are school days and are not counted as no-school days.
US school holidays for 2026-2027 vary by state and local school district. Most schools observe Labor Day, Thanksgiving recess, winter break, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, spring break, and Memorial Day, but exact dates depend on district calendars.
When is fall break 2026?
Fall break is set by each district, and many districts have none. Named examples: DeSoto County Schools Mon, Oct 5 – Fri, Oct 9, 2026; Hawaii State Department of Education Mon, Oct 5 – Fri, Oct 9, 2026; Dallas Independent School District Thu, Oct 8 – Fri, Oct 9, 2026; Ann Arbor Public Schools Fri, Oct 9 and Mon, Oct 12, 2026; Jefferson Parish Schools Fri, Oct 9 – Mon, Oct 12, 2026; Indianapolis Public Schools Mon, Oct 12 – Fri, Oct 16, 2026; Metro Nashville Public Schools Mon, Oct 12 – Fri, Oct 16, 2026; Milwaukee Public Schools Mon, Oct 26, 2026. Confirm with your own district calendar.
When is Thanksgiving break 2026?
Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. District breaks differ: 8 of the 19 named district calendars on this page close the full week of November 23–27, while the others take shorter breaks, most often Wednesday–Friday, November 25–27. Check your own district calendar.
When is winter break for the 2026-2027 school year?
Winter break usually runs from late December 2026 into early January 2027. Many districts schedule the break around Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but the start and end dates vary locally.
When is spring break 2027?
Spring break 2027 is usually scheduled in March or April. Southern states and large urban districts often choose different weeks than northeastern or midwestern districts, so families should confirm with their local school district.
Are these school holiday dates official?
The exact fall break, Thanksgiving and winter break examples come from the named districts’ official calendars and apply only to the listed calendar scopes. First and last school days are district-calendar lookups, not statewide dates. Spring dates are in the separate Spring Break guide.