If you are a DCPS parent, teacher, or student in Washington, DC, this is the page to bookmark for the 2026-2027 school year. Every date below comes straight from the official District of Columbia Public Schools SY 2026-27 academic calendar — we verified this directly from the DC Public Schools official website on July 27, 2026. No guesswork. No copied dates from last year.
The DC Public Schools Calendar 26-27 covers all 116 DCPS schools across all eight wards. Students start Monday, August 24, 2026. Pre-K students start a few days later. The year wraps up on Thursday, June 17, 2027. In between you get a 10-day winter break, a week off in March, and a long list of single-day closures that catch families off guard every single year.
That is the real reason this page matters. The DCPS calendar has a lot of scattered “no school for students” days — professional development days, parent-teacher conference days, half-day records days. They do not fall on obvious holidays. If you only look at the big breaks, you will miss them, and you will be scrambling for childcare on a random Tuesday in February. Parents bookmark this page because it puts all 180 student days, every closure, and the DC Public Schools Calendar 26-27 printable PDF download in one place you can check in ten seconds.
At-a-Glance Summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| District | District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) |
| State / Jurisdiction | Washington, District of Columbia |
| Academic Year | 2026-2027 |
| First Day of School (Grades K-12) | Monday, August 24, 2026 |
| First Day of School (Pre-K) | Thursday, August 27, 2026 |
| Last Day for Seniors | Friday, June 4, 2027 |
| Last Day for Students | Thursday, June 17, 2027 |
| Total Student Days | 180 |
| Total Teacher Days | 193 |
| Number of Terms | 4 (46 / 44 / 44 / 46 days) |
| Spring Break 2027 | March 22-26, 2027 |
| Next Upcoming Holiday | Labor Day — Monday, September 7, 2026 |
| Last Verified | July 27, 2026 |
Key Dates Table — DC Public Schools Calendar 26-27
| Event | Start Date | End Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Educator Orientation (NEO) | Aug 12, 2026 | Aug 14, 2026 | New teachers only |
| Professional Development (PD) | Aug 17, 2026 | Aug 21, 2026 | No school for students |
| First Day of School (Grades K-12) | Aug 24, 2026 | — | Term 1 begins |
| First Day of School — Pre-K | Aug 27, 2026 | — | ECE students only |
| Labor Day Holiday | Sep 7, 2026 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Indigenous Peoples’ Day Holiday | Oct 12, 2026 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Parent-Teacher Conference Day | Oct 13, 2026 | — | No school for students |
| End of Term 1 | Oct 29, 2026 | — | 46 instructional days |
| Professional Development (PD) | Oct 30, 2026 | — | No school for students |
| Half-Day Records / Half-Day Wellness | Nov 2, 2026 | — | No school for students |
| No School — Students & Teachers | Nov 3, 2026 | — | Election Day |
| Veterans Day Holiday | Nov 11, 2026 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Thanksgiving Break | Nov 25, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 26 is the holiday |
| Professional Development (PD) | Dec 21, 2026 | — | No school for students |
| Winter Break | Dec 22, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | Includes Christmas (Dec 25) & New Year’s Day |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Jan 18, 2027 | — | Closed for everyone |
| End of Term 2 | Jan 25, 2027 | — | 44 instructional days |
| Half-Day Records / Half-Day PD | Jan 26, 2027 | — | No school for students |
| Parent-Teacher Conference Day | Feb 10, 2027 | — | No school for students |
| Presidents’ Day Holiday | Feb 15, 2027 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Spring Break | Mar 22, 2027 | Mar 26, 2027 | Full week, no school |
| End of Term 3 | Apr 8, 2027 | — | 44 instructional days |
| Half-Day Records / Half-Day Wellness | Apr 9, 2027 | — | No school for students |
| Emancipation Day Holiday | Apr 16, 2027 | — | DC-specific holiday |
| Wellness Day | May 14, 2027 | — | No school for students or teachers |
| Memorial Day Holiday | May 31, 2027 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Last Day for Seniors | Jun 4, 2027 | — | Class of 2027 |
| Last Day for Students / End of Term 4 | Jun 17, 2027 | — | 46 instructional days |
| Juneteenth Holiday (Observed) | Jun 18, 2027 | — | Closed for everyone |
| Half-Day Records / Half-Day PD | Jun 21, 2027 | — | Staff only |
| Planned Snow-Day Make-Up Days | Jun 22, 2027 | Jun 23, 2027 | Used only if needed |
| Independence Day (Observed) | Jul 5, 2027 | — | Summer holiday |
| First Day of School (2027-28) | Aug 23, 2027 | — | Next year, K-12 |
| First Day of School — Pre-K (2027-28) | Aug 26, 2027 | — | Next year, ECE |
Source: DC Public Schools official SY 2026-27 calendar (PDF).
A note on statewide testing: DCPS does not publish DC CAPE or other assessment windows on the printed academic calendar. Testing dates are released separately by OSSE and by individual schools, usually in the spring. Ask your child’s school directly — do not assume a date.
Two corrections worth knowing about. Some third-party calendar sites list a professional development day on May 17, 2027, and show June 18, 2027 as a half-day records day with snow make-ups on June 21-22. The official DCPS PDF does not match that. May 17, 2027 is listed as a religious observance note (Eid al-Adha), not a school closure — May has a full 19 student days. And June 18, 2027 is a full holiday, with the half-day records/PD day on June 21 and snow make-ups on June 22-23. The month-by-month student day counts in the official calendar confirm both.
Month-by-Month Summary Table
| Month | Student Days | Cumulative Student Days | Teacher Days | Cumulative Teacher Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 11 |
| September 2026 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 32 |
| October 2026 | 19 | 46 | 21 | 53 |
| November 2026 | 15 | 61 | 15.5 | 68.5 |
| December 2026 | 14 | 75 | 15 | 83.5 |
| January 2027 | 18 | 93 | 19 | 102.5 |
| February 2027 | 17 | 110 | 19 | 121.5 |
| March 2027 | 18 | 128 | 18 | 139.5 |
| April 2027 | 20 | 148 | 20.5 | 160 |
| May 2027 | 19 | 167 | 19 | 179 |
| June 2027 | 13 | 180 | 14 | 193 |
| Total | 180 | — | 193 | — |
Term Dates Summary Table
| Term | Ends | Instructional Days |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | October 29, 2026 | 46 |
| Term 2 | January 25, 2027 | 44 |
| Term 3 | April 8, 2027 | 44 |
| Term 4 | June 17, 2027 | 46 |
Calendars can change after publication. Before you book a flight or lock in childcare, always double-check the current version on the official DCPS website. This page reflects the calendar as published, but the district’s own posting is the final authority.
Download the Official DCPS Calendar 2026-2027 Printable PDF
Want the real thing on your fridge? DCPS publishes a one-page grid version. Print it, stick it on the fridge, and mark it up.
Download: DCPS SY 2026-27 Official Calendar (English, PDF)
This is the exact file every date on this page was checked against. If you are searching for a DC Public Schools Calendar 2026 27 template to drop into Google Calendar or Outlook, start with this PDF — it is the source of truth, and DCPS updates it in place if anything changes.
See also: How to Refinance Student Loans in 2026-2027: A Complete Guide
About DC Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system for Washington, DC, serving roughly 50,000 students from pre-K3 through grade 12 across 116 schools in all eight wards. DCPS is separate from the city’s public charter sector, which is independently governed. The district runs an extensive AP catalog, dual-enrollment pathways, selective programs at schools like Benjamin Banneker and School Without Walls, and a growing set of career and technical education tracks. Dr. Kim Jackson serves as Interim Chancellor, appointed in June 2026 after Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee stepped down. Central offices are at 1200 First Street NE.
What DC Parents Should Know This Year
A few things in the DC Public Schools Calendar 26-27 will trip people up.
Pre-K starts three days after everyone else. K-12 students begin August 24. Pre-K begins August 27. If you have kids in both, you are running two schedules that first week.
August is a short month — only six student days. School starts on a Monday, and the month is nearly over. Do not treat late August like a full month of coverage.
Spring break is only five days, and it is early. March 22-26, 2027. That is one work week, not two. DCPS gives one of the shorter spring breaks in the region.
November is brutal for childcare. Nov 2, Nov 3, Nov 11, and Nov 25-27 are all closed. That is six closure days in a single month, and only 15 student days total — the second-lightest month of the year.
Four half-day records days. Nov 2, Jan 26, Apr 9, and Jun 21. Students are off entirely on all four. These are the ones parents forget.
How DC Compares to Neighboring Districts
DCPS lands in the middle of the pack around the DMV. Fairfax County Public Schools starts the same day — August 24, 2026 — takes the exact same spring break week of March 22-26, 2027, and finishes a day earlier on June 16, 2027. Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland starts a day later on August 25, 2026, ends much earlier on June 11, 2027, and takes a noticeably longer spring break running March 26 through April 2, 2027. Prince George’s County Public Schools also starts August 25, 2026, ends June 15, 2027, and schedules spring break March 30 to April 2, 2027, tied to Good Friday and Easter. So if you have kids split across DC and a Maryland county, your spring break weeks will not line up.
Planning a Family Trip? Best Times to Travel
Winter break is your best window. December 22, 2026 through January 1, 2027 — with the PD day on December 21 tacked on the front, that is a 12-day stretch counting weekends. It is the only block long enough for international travel or a real cross-country trip. Book by early October; DCA and BWI fares spike hard after Thanksgiving.
Spring break, March 22-26, 2027, is the second-best option. Five weekdays plus the weekends on either end gives you nine days. It also falls a week earlier than Montgomery County’s break, which means DC families hit airports and beach rentals before the bigger Maryland crowd does. That is a real pricing advantage — use it.
For a cheap long weekend, stack Thanksgiving (Nov 25-27) with the weekend, or pair the April 9 half-day records day with the following weekend. The Emancipation Day holiday on April 16, 2027 is a Friday, which makes another easy three-day getaway.
See also: Davidson County Schools Calendar 2026-2027 | Printable PDF
School Closings History in DC
DCPS has a reputation for staying open when Maryland and Virginia districts close — during the January 2025 storms, DCPS held classes on days when Montgomery County and Arlington were shut. In a typical winter the district uses zero to two full snow days, which is exactly why the calendar builds in June 22 and June 23, 2027 as planned make-up days. They are used only if needed.
FAQs
Q: When does school start in DCPS for 2026-2027?
The first day of school for grades K-12 is Monday, August 24, 2026. Pre-K students start Thursday, August 27, 2026. New teachers report earlier for orientation on August 12-14, with staff professional development running August 17-21.
Q: When is the last day of school for DCPS?
The last day for students is Thursday, June 17, 2027, which also marks the end of Term 4. Seniors finish earlier on Friday, June 4, 2027. If snow days are used during the year, June 22 and 23 are the built-in make-up days.
Q: When is spring break for DCPS in 2027?
DC Public Schools spring break 2027 runs Monday, March 22 through Friday, March 26, 2027. Schools are closed all five days. Classes resume Monday, March 29, 2027.
Q: How many school days does DCPS have this year?
There are 180 student days in the 2026-2027 calendar and 193 teacher days. Those days are split across four terms: 46 days in Term 1, 44 in Term 2, 44 in Term 3, and 46 in Term 4.
Q: Are there any school closings or delays I should know about?
Beyond the scheduled holidays, watch for the four half-day records days (Nov 2, Jan 26, Apr 9, Jun 21) and the professional development days when students are off but staff are working. For weather closures and delays, DCPS posts real-time status at dcps.dc.gov and typically announces by 6:00 AM.
Final Word
Bookmark this page now — you will be back. Between the half-day records days, the PD days, and the parent-teacher conference days, the DC Public Schools Calendar 26-27 has more student-free weekdays than most families expect, and they are easy to miss until the night before. For real-time closings, delays, and any mid-year calendar changes, the official DCPS website at dcps.dc.gov is always your best live source. Check back in February and March, when DC Public Schools Calendar spring break 2027 dates get searched the most and travel prices start climbing. And if this helped, pass it along to another DCPS parent — everyone plans better when the whole school community has the same dates.
The PublicSchoolsCalendar.com Team compiles and verifies public school calendar data for districts across all 50 US states, drawing on official district websites and published family calendars to keep every page accurate and up to date.
