Looking for the Durham Public School Year-Round Calendar 26-27? You’re in the right place. This guide covers every key date for Durham Public Schools (DPS) in Durham, North Carolina, for the 2026-2027 academic year — first day of school, last day, breaks, teacher workdays, and holidays.
We verified this directly from Durham Public Schools’ official website. This page was last verified on June 20, 2026.
If you’re a parent juggling work schedules, a teacher planning your year, or a student counting down to summer, this Durham Public School Year-Round Calendar 26 27 printable guide gives you everything in one place. No digging through PDFs, no guessing. Just the dates you need, laid out clearly.
Parents bookmark this page because school calendars change, get buried on district websites, or get announced in emails nobody has time to read twice — having one clean reference saves real time during a busy school year.
At-A-Glance Summary: Durham Public Schools 2026-2027
Here’s the quick version if you’re in a hurry.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First day of school | July 20, 2026 |
| Last day of school | June 9, 2027 (Early Release Day) |
| Total school days | Approximately 185 instructional days (North Carolina’s standard requirement) |
| Next upcoming holiday | Holiday on July 3, 2026 |
Durham Public Schools runs on a modified or “balanced” calendar model, which is why you’ll notice intersession weeks scattered through the fall, winter, and spring instead of one long summer break. This is different from a traditional calendar, so if you’re new to DPS, pay close attention to the intersession dates below.
Durham Public School Year-Round Calendar 26 27: Key Dates Table
Below is the full Durham Public School District Calendar 2026 27 template, organized by month. Every date below comes directly from the official DPS calendar.
July 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 3 | Holiday |
| July 13-17 | Required Teacher Workdays |
| July 20 | First Day of School |
August 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 5 | Early Release Day |
| August 19 | Required Teacher Workday |
September 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 7 | Holiday |
| September 18 | End of Marking Period |
| September 21 | Teacher Workday |
| September 22-30 | Intersession |
October 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 1-8 | Intersession |
| October 9 | Required Teacher Workday |
November 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 3 | Required Teacher Workday |
| November 11 | Holiday |
| November 23 | Teacher Workday |
| November 24-25 | Annual Leave |
| November 26-27 | Holiday (Thanksgiving Break) |
December 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 9 | Early Release Day |
| December 18 | End of Marking Period |
| December 21-22 | Teacher Workday |
| December 23 | Annual Leave |
| December 24-28 | Holiday (Winter Break) |
| December 29-31 | Annual Leave |
January 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 1 | Holiday |
| January 4-7 | Intersession |
| January 8 | Required Teacher Workday |
| January 18 | Holiday (MLK Day) |
February 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 10 | Required Teacher Workday |
| February 24 | Early Release Day |
March 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 12 | End of Marking Period |
| March 15 | Teacher Workday |
| March 16-18 | Intersession |
| March 22-25 | Annual Leave (Spring Break) |
| March 26 | Holiday |
| March 29-31 | Intersession |
April 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 1 | Intersession |
| April 2 | Required Teacher Workday |
| April 28 | Required Teacher Workday |
May 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 12 | Early Release Day |
| May 31 | Holiday |
June 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 9 | Last Day of School, Early Release Day |
| June 10-11 | Required Teacher Workdays |
Source: Durham Public Schools official calendar. Last verified: June 20, 2026.
Download the Official Durham Public Schools Calendar PDF
For the official, printable Durham Public School Year-Round Calendar 26 27 PDF, go straight to the district source. We always recommend confirming dates against the original before making travel or childcare plans.
Download the official 2026-2027 Durham Public Schools district calendar here: Printable Calendar Download
This page on the DPS website hosts the official, board-approved calendar PDF along with any approved amendments throughout the year.
About Durham Public Schools
Durham Public Schools serves over 31,000 students across roughly 57 schools in Durham, North Carolina, making it one of the larger districts in the state. The district is led by Superintendent Dr. Anthony S. Lewis, who joined DPS in August 2024 after previously serving as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in Kansas. DPS is known for its magnet programs, including Durham School of the Arts, and offers a mix of traditional, magnet, and early/middle college high school options, including partnerships with Durham Technical Community College. The district operates under a balanced calendar structure for many of its schools, which spreads breaks throughout the year rather than concentrating them in summer.
See also: School Holiday List 2026–2027 USA: Complete Guide for Every Family
What Parents in Durham County Should Know This Year
The 2026-2027 calendar follows DPS’s balanced calendar structure, so don’t expect a typical June-to-August summer. Instead, school starts relatively early on July 20, 2026, and breaks are spread out through intersession weeks in September-October, January, and March. Notice that spring break (Annual Leave) falls March 22-25, 2027, immediately followed by an additional intersession block March 29-31 and April 1 — effectively giving families a longer stretch of time off in late March into early April if you string the days together with the surrounding weekend. Winter break is also generous this year, running from December 23, 2026, through December 31, 2026, when you combine the Annual Leave and Holiday days. If your child attends a traditional-calendar DPS school rather than a balanced-calendar one, double check your specific school’s calendar on the district site, since not all DPS schools follow identical schedules.
How Durham Compares to Neighboring Districts
Compared to neighboring Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, which typically follow a more traditional calendar with a single long summer break starting in late August, Durham’s balanced calendar starts notably earlier (July 20 versus late August) and breaks the year into more frequent, shorter chunks. Wake County Public Schools, the state’s largest district, also runs both traditional and year-round calendar tracks, similar in spirit to Durham’s approach, though specific dates differ. If you have kids in different districts, or your family splits time between Durham and a neighboring county, it’s worth cross-checking both calendars early, since intersession and break weeks rarely line up perfectly.
See also: School Year vs Calendar Year: How the US Academic Calendar Works
Planning a Family Trip? Best Times to Travel in Durham
If you’re trying to time a vacation around the Durham Public School District Calendar 2026 27, the late March stretch is your best bet. Spring break 2027 runs March 22-25, and when combined with the intersession days right before (March 16-18) and after (March 29-31, April 1), families have multiple shorter windows to choose from, or can plan around the surrounding weekends for a longer trip. Winter break (December 23-31, 2026) is the other strong option, especially since it covers both Christmas and New Year’s. The September 22-30 and October 1-8 intersession stretch in fall is also worth considering if you want to avoid peak holiday travel pricing.
School Closings History in Durham County
Like most North Carolina districts, Durham Public Schools occasionally adjusts its calendar for inclement weather, typically winter ice or snow events. In a normal year, DPS has used a small number of weather-related closures or remote learning days, with makeup time built into the calendar when needed. For real-time closing announcements, always check the official DPS website or local news rather than relying on a printed calendar, since weather decisions are made day-of.
FAQs
Q: When does school start in Durham Public Schools for 2026-2027?
The first day of school is July 20, 2026. Required teacher workdays run July 13-17, 2026, right before students return.
Q: When is the last day of school for Durham Public Schools?
The last day of school is June 9, 2027, which is also an Early Release Day. Required teacher workdays follow on June 10-11, 2027.
Q: When is spring break for Durham Public Schools in 2027?
Spring break (listed as Annual Leave on the official calendar) runs March 22-25, 2027. There’s also a Holiday on March 26 and intersession days March 29-31 and April 1 right alongside it.
Q: How many school days does Durham Public Schools have this year?
Durham Public Schools follows North Carolina’s standard requirement of approximately 185 instructional days. For the exact count tied to this specific calendar, confirm against the official DPS calendar PDF, since exact instructional day totals can shift slightly with calendar amendments.
Q: Are there any school closings or delays I should know about?
This calendar doesn’t list any pre-planned closures beyond the standard holidays, intersessions, and teacher workdays above. Weather-related closings are announced separately by the district as they happen, so check the DPS website or local news during winter months.
Final Word
Bookmark this page now, because you’ll likely need it again before the school year even starts. For real-time updates, weather closings, or any last-minute calendar changes, always check the official Durham Public Schools website directly. And if you’re already thinking ahead to spring, mark your calendar to check back in March, when spring break dates become the most searched topic of the year for DPS families.
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.