The Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027 runs from Thursday, August 13, 2026, to Thursday, June 3, 2027, and includes 180 student instructional days, six board-approved holidays, and ten teacher planning days.
Winter recess spans Monday, December 21, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027. Spring recess runs from Monday, March 22, 2027, through Friday, March 26, 2027.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) is the governing body responsible for this calendar. It applies to elementary, K-8, middle, and secondary schools across Miami-Dade County, Florida, and covers instructional staff, paraprofessionals, clerical employees, cafeteria personnel, and security staff on separate but overlapping employment schedules.
Table of Contents
First Day and Last Day of School in Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade school year for 2026-2027 begins and ends on fixed dates set by the MDCPS School Board, with separate reporting dates for staff who work before students arrive and after students leave.
When Does the 2026-2027 School Year Start in Miami-Dade?
Students begin the first semester on Thursday, August 13, 2026. This date follows three consecutive teacher planning days — Monday, August 10, 2026; Tuesday, August 11, 2026; and Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — during which no students report to school.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, is designated a District-wide Professional Learning Day, meaning it is not available for staff to opt out of or reschedule.
When Does the 2026-2027 School Year End in Miami-Dade?
The last day of school for students is Thursday, June 3, 2027, which also marks the end of the fourth grading period and the second semester. Teachers report for one additional planning day on Friday, June 4, 2027, after students are dismissed for the summer.
Full Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027, Month by Month
Below is the complete list of instructional milestones, holidays, and non-student days from the official MDCPS 2026-2027 calendar, with each date’s day of the week included for planning purposes.
| Date | Day of Week | Event | Student Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 10, 2026 | Monday | Teacher planning day | No students in school |
| August 11, 2026 | Tuesday | District-wide Professional Learning Day | No students in school |
| August 12, 2026 | Wednesday | Teacher planning day | No students in school |
| August 13, 2026 | Thursday | First day of school; begin first semester | Students report |
| September 7, 2026 | Monday | Labor Day | Holiday, no school |
| September 21, 2026 | Monday | Teacher planning day (opt-eligible) | No students in school |
| October 16, 2026 | Friday | End of first grading period | Students report |
| October 19, 2026 | Monday | Beginning of second grading period | Students report |
| November 3, 2026 | Tuesday | District-wide Professional Learning Day | No students in school |
| November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | Veterans’ Day | Holiday, no school |
| November 23–25, 2026 | Mon–Wed | Recess days (10-month/11.5-month staff) | No school |
| November 26, 2026 | Thursday | Thanksgiving | Holiday, no school |
| November 27, 2026 | Friday | Recess day | No school |
| December 18, 2026 | Friday | Teacher planning day (opt-eligible) | No students in school |
| December 21, 2026–January 1, 2027 | Mon–Fri | Winter recess | No school |
| January 14, 2027 | Thursday | End of second grading period; end of semester 1 | Students report |
| January 15, 2027 | Friday | Teacher planning day (opt-eligible) | No students in school |
| January 18, 2027 | Monday | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday | Holiday, no school |
| January 19, 2027 | Tuesday | Beginning of third grading period; start of semester 2 | Students report |
| February 15, 2027 | Monday | Presidents Day | Holiday, no school |
| March 10, 2027 | Wednesday | Teacher planning day (opt-eligible) | No students in school |
| March 19, 2027 | Friday | End of third grading period | Students report |
| March 22–26, 2027 | Mon–Fri | Spring recess | No school |
| March 29, 2027 | Monday | Teacher planning day (opt-eligible) | No students in school |
| March 30, 2027 | Tuesday | Beginning of fourth grading period | Students report |
| May 31, 2027 | Monday | Memorial Day | Holiday, no school |
| June 3, 2027 | Thursday | Last day of school; end of fourth grading period | Students report |
| June 4, 2027 | Friday | Teacher planning day | No students in school |
Holidays and Non-Instructional Days in the Miami-Dade School Calendar
The Miami-Dade school calendar separates non-instructional days into three distinct categories: board-approved holidays, recess periods, and teacher planning days. Each category carries different rules for which staff report to work.
Federal and Board-Approved Holidays
Six dates are marked as holidays for both students and employees in the 2026-2027 calendar:
- Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026
- Veterans’ Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026
- Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026 (board-approved holiday)
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Monday, January 18, 2027
- Presidents Day, Monday, February 15, 2027
- Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2027
Recess Days Around Thanksgiving
November 23 through November 25, 2026, are designated recess days specifically for 10-month and 11.5-month employees, distinguishing them from 12-month staff who continue reporting.
Combined with the Thursday Thanksgiving holiday and the Friday, November 27, 2026, recess day, no instructional activity occurs for the full week of November 23–27, 2026.
Teacher Planning Days and District-Wide Professional Learning Days
Ten dates in the 2026-2027 calendar are designated teacher planning days, meaning no students report to school. Two of these — August 11, 2026, and November 3, 2026 — are District-wide Professional Learning Days, which are not available for staff to opt out of or reschedule.
The remaining six planning days that fall during the school term (September 21, 2026; December 18, 2026; January 15, 2027; March 10, 2027; and March 29, 2027) carry opt-in flexibility described below.
Which Miami-Dade School Calendar Planning Days Are Optional to Work?
Teachers, paraprofessionals, and school support personnel may work one or two additional days — August 6, 2026; August 7, 2026; June 7, 2027; or June 8, 2027 — in place of any one or two of the following opt-eligible planning days: September 21, 2026; December 18, 2026; January 15, 2027; March 10, 2027; or March 29, 2027.
Teachers newly hired by Miami-Dade County Public Schools may use only June 7, 2027, or June 8, 2027, as substitute days, not the August dates.
Ten-month secretarial and clerical employees follow a separate substitution window: July 30, 2026; July 31, 2026; June 14, 2027; or June 15, 2027.
This opt system does not apply to August 11, 2026, or November 3, 2026, since both are fixed District-wide Professional Learning Days.
Grading Periods, Progress Reports, and Semester Structure
The 2026-2027 academic year is divided into two semesters and four grading periods, each bounded by a specific start and end date.
| Semester | Grading Period | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | First grading period | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Friday, October 16, 2026 |
| Semester 1 | Second grading period | Monday, October 19, 2026 | Thursday, January 14, 2027 |
| Semester 2 | Third grading period | Tuesday, January 19, 2027 | Friday, March 19, 2027 |
| Semester 2 | Fourth grading period | Tuesday, March 30, 2027 | Thursday, June 3, 2027 |
Each grading period functions as a nine-week academic block used for report card issuance. The transition from first semester to second semester occurs immediately after winter recess, with the third grading period beginning on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, the day after the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Winter Recess, Spring Recess, and Thanksgiving Break Dates
Winter recess, spring recess, and Thanksgiving break represent the three extended non-instructional periods in the Miami-Dade school calendar, each affecting students and most employees except Fraternal Order of Police personnel and select 12-month staff.
Winter recess runs from Monday, December 21, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027 — ten weekdays. Students return to class on Monday, January 4, 2027, since January 2, 2027, and January 3, 2027, fall on weekends.
Spring recess runs from Monday, March 22, 2027, through Friday, March 26, 2027 — five consecutive weekdays. Students resume class on Monday, March 29, 2027, though this date is itself a teacher planning day, meaning students actually return on Tuesday, March 30, 2027.
Thanksgiving break effectively spans Monday, November 23, 2026, through Friday, November 27, 2026, once the recess days, the Thursday holiday, and the Friday recess day are combined.
Early Release Wednesdays: District Policy for Elementary and K-8 Students
Every Wednesday during the 2026-2027 school year, elementary students in Grades 2 through 5 and K-8 Center students in Grades 2 through 8 are released one hour early.
This policy applies district-wide and is not limited to specific weeks or grading periods; it operates continuously from the first day of school, Thursday, August 13, 2026, through the last day of school, Thursday, June 3, 2027.
The policy does not apply to kindergarten and Grade 1 students or to standard middle and senior high school schedules, which follow regular dismissal times on Wednesdays.
Employee Calendar Start and End Dates by Job Category
Staff reporting dates in the Miami-Dade school calendar vary by job classification, with some employees beginning work more than a week before students and others finishing after the student calendar closes.
| Job Category | Beginning Date | Ending Date |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers new to the system | Monday, August 3, 2026 | Friday, June 4, 2027 |
| Assistant Principals and 10-month clerical | Monday, August 3, 2026 | Friday, June 11, 2027 |
| Cafeteria Managers | Wednesday, August 5, 2026 | Friday, June 4, 2027 |
| Satellite Assistants | Friday, August 7, 2026 | Thursday, June 3, 2027 |
| All Instructional Staff, Paraprofessionals & Security | Monday, August 10, 2026 | Friday, June 4, 2027 |
| Assistant to Cafeteria Managers/MAT Specialists | Tuesday, August 11, 2026 | Thursday, June 3, 2027 |
| Cafeteria Workers (part-time) | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Thursday, June 3, 2027 |
Assistant Principals and 10-month clerical staff carry the longest employment window in this calendar, ending Friday, June 11, 2027 — one full week after the standard teacher planning day of Friday, June 4, 2027.
How Many Instructional Days Does the Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027 Include?
The Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027 includes exactly 180 student instructional days, calculated from 211 total weekdays between Thursday, August 13, 2026, and Thursday, June 3, 2027, minus 31 non-instructional weekdays.
This figure matches the minimum term required under Florida Statute 1011.60, which requires school districts to operate all schools for a term of 180 actual teaching days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as specified by the State Board of Education each school year.
The 31 non-instructional weekdays break down into three categories:
| Non-Instructional Category | Weekday Count | Example Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Board-approved holidays | 6 | Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day |
| Teacher planning days (during term) | 6 | September 21, 2026; March 10, 2027 |
| Recess periods (Thanksgiving, winter, spring) | 19 | December 21, 2026–January 1, 2027; March 22–26, 2027 |
This total excludes the three pre-planning teacher days before the school year opens (August 10–12, 2026) and the one post-planning day after it closes (June 4, 2027), since those fall outside the student instructional window entirely.
Miami-Dade vs. Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027: Side-by-Side Comparison
Miami-Dade and Broward County are Florida’s two largest school districts, and their 2026-2027 calendars share several structural similarities while differing in total calendar length and makeup-day provisions.
| Attribute | Miami-Dade County Public Schools | Broward County Public Schools |
|---|---|---|
| First day of school | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Monday, August 10, 2026 |
| Last day of school | Thursday, June 3, 2027 | Friday, May 28, 2027 |
| Winter recess | December 21, 2026–January 1, 2027 | December 21, 2026–January 1, 2027 |
| Spring recess | March 22–26, 2027 | March 22–26, 2027 |
| Thanksgiving break | November 23–27, 2026 | November 23–27, 2026 |
| Severe weather makeup days | Not designated in the published calendar | Up to five severe weather makeup days are built into the schedule |
| District size | Fourth-largest in the U.S. | Sixth-largest in the nation; more than 236,600 students across 239 schools and centers |
Both districts align their winter recess, spring recess, and Thanksgiving break dates exactly, reflecting coordinated regional planning across South Florida.
The main structural difference is calendar length: Broward’s academic year runs three fewer weekdays before the last day of school than Miami-Dade’s, and Broward explicitly reserves makeup days for hurricane-season closures, while the Miami-Dade calendar reviewed here contains no equivalent designated makeup-day dates.
What the Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027 Does Not Include
This calendar does not specify standardized testing windows, such as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), graduation ceremony dates, or school-specific open house schedules — those are set individually by each school or by separate Florida Department of Education testing bulletins.
It also does not apply to charter schools operating independently within Miami-Dade County, private schools such as those under the Archdiocese of Miami, or Miami-Dade College, which maintains its own academic calendar unrelated to K-12 scheduling.
The calendar does not designate specific hurricane or severe-weather makeup days, unlike Broward County’s 2026-2027 calendar. Finally, it does not apply retroactively to the 2025-2026 school year or forward to the 2027-2028 school year, each of which follows a separately approved calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027
Is There School in Miami-Dade on Veterans’ Day 2026?
No. Veterans’ Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, is designated a holiday for both students and employees under the Miami-Dade school calendar, meaning no instruction occurs district-wide on that date.
How Long Is Winter Break in the Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027?
Winter break spans ten weekdays, from Monday, December 21, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027. This applies to students and employees except Fraternal Order of Police personnel and select 12-month staff, who follow a separate work schedule during this period.
Can Miami-Dade Teachers Opt Out of Planning Days?
Yes, for six of the ten teacher planning days. Teachers may substitute August 6, 2026; August 7, 2026; June 7, 2027; or June 8, 2027, in place of the opt-eligible planning days on September 21, 2026; December 18, 2026; January 15, 2027; March 10, 2027; or March 29, 2027. This option does not extend to the two District-wide Professional Learning Days on August 11, 2026, and November 3, 2026, which remain mandatory for all staff.
For more on the Miami-Dade School Calendar 2026-2027, visit the Miami-Dade County Public Schools website.
