Chicago Public Schools Finalizes Academic Calendar for 2026-27 and 2027-28 School Years

CHICAGO – The calendar for school years 2026-27 and 2027-28 was adopted by the Chicago Board of Education on Thursday, greenlighting a schedule that reflects the priorities and needs identified by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) staff, parents, students, labor partners and community members through extensive engagement and surveys.

“Our teaching and learning department took great care to collect meaningful data and responses from our community and school partners to ensure our academic calendar works best for the families we serve,” said Dr. Macquline King, CPS’ Interim CEO/Superintendent. “We are keenly aware that these decisions directly impact students’ learning and wellbeing. By listening to families, staff and students, we have designed a calendar that best supports their success in school and beyond.”

In all, across two rounds of surveys, the District collected more than 36,000 responses to help guide key decisions. Of the more than 14,000 people surveyed in the fall, the majority favored the adoption of a two-year calendar. And in the winter survey that collected more than 22,000 responses, the majority preferred a start date two weeks before Labor Day, even if it means ending the first semester after winter break.

In the adopted calendars, classes for School Year 2026-27 will start on Aug. 24 and end on June 11 for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. For pre-Kindergarten, classes start on Aug. 25 and end on June 10. For School Year 2027-28, classes will start on Aug. 23 and end on June 9 for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. For pre-Kindergarten, classes start on Aug. 24 and end on June 8.

“This calendar connects to the District’s vision and reflects input from a variety of voices, keeping students at the center,” said CPS’ Chief of Teaching and Learning Nicole Milberg. “This academic schedule incorporates feedback from the community and accelerates learning for students, provides thoughtful opportunities for professional learning for staff, and meets the needs of all learners.”

The academic calendar has consistent Spring Break dates for each year, aligned with survey respondents who identified consistency as the most important factor for this time of year. Only a minority of surveyors wanted to prioritize the alignment of religious holidays to Spring Break, particularly as Easter falls on different months in 2027 and 2028.

Another major consideration was the timing of Labor Day, which falls later into the month of September for the next two school years and makes it challenging to fulfill the required number of high school semester credits before Winter Break. As a result, students will have three weeks after Winter Break to finish the first semester.

Both calendars feature the same number of instruction days, including 176 student attendance days, four Teacher Institute days, four School Improvement days, two Parent-Teacher Conference Days, and four Professional Development days.

The finalized calendars can be found on the District’s website.