The Broward County school calendar for 2026-2027 runs from Monday, August 10, 2026, through Friday, May 28, 2027, covering 180 instructional days across Broward County Public Schools (BCPS).
The School Board approved this calendar alongside the 2027-2028 school year calendar, marking the first time BCPS has approved two school-year calendars simultaneously.
This guide covers every first day, last day, holiday, break, early release day, teacher planning day, report card date, and severe weather make-up day on the official 2026-2027 BCPS calendar.
Table of Contents
Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027 at a Glance
The Broward County school calendar 2026-2027 spans Monday, August 10, 2026, to Friday, May 28, 2027, and includes a five-day Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, and a five-day spring break from March 22 to March 26, 2027.
The table below summarizes the core figures for the 2026-2027 academic year.
| Calendar Metric | 2026-2027 Detail |
|---|---|
| First Day of School | Monday, August 10, 2026 |
| Last Day of School | Friday, May 28, 2027 (Early Release Day) |
| Total Instructional Days | 180 days |
| Thanksgiving Break | Monday, November 23 – Friday, November 27, 2026 (5 weekdays) |
| Winter Break | Monday, December 21, 2026 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (10 school weekdays) |
| Spring Break | Monday, March 22 – Friday, March 26, 2027 (5 weekdays) |
| Early Release Days | 6 total: October 9, December 18, February 12, March 18, April 30, May 28 |
| Employee Planning Days (No School for Students) | 5-day pre-planning week (August 3–7, 2026) plus 4 additional dates during the year |
| Severe Weather Make-Up Days Built In | 5: October 9, 2026; December 18, 2026; March 18, 2027; April 30, 2027; May 28, 2027 |
| School Board Approval Date | Thursday, December 18, 2025 |
About Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools is the sixth-largest school district in the nation and the second-largest in Florida, and it holds the distinction as Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962.
The district educates more than 236,600 students and approximately 125,000 adult learners across 239 schools, centers, and technical colleges, plus 86 charter schools.
BCPS serves a diverse population, representing 174 countries and 157 languages. The district covers cities including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Coral Springs.
When Was the Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027 Approved?
The BCPS School Board approved the 2026-2027 school calendar on Thursday, December 18, 2025, alongside the 2027-2028 calendar in the same vote.
BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn stated that releasing both calendars together gives families and staff a longer planning window than the district’s standard single-year release cycle.
Districts across Florida typically approve one school year at a time, roughly six to eight months before the first day of school; BCPS extended that window to nearly 20 months for 2026-2027.
First Day and Last Day of School
School starts in Broward County on Monday, August 10, 2026, and ends on Friday, May 28, 2027. This is the earliest legal start date allowed under state law, and the school year totals 292 calendar days from the first day to the last day, condensed into 180 days of student instruction.
When Does School Start in Broward County in 2026?
The first day of school for all BCPS students is Monday, August 10, 2026. Students return following a five-day Employee Planning week (Monday, August 3 – Friday, August 7, 2026), during which teachers prepare classrooms and receive professional development, but students do not attend.
When Is the Last Day of School in Broward County in 2027?
The last day of school is Friday, May 28, 2027, which is also designated an Early Release Day. Students in grade 12 receive report cards earlier, on Monday, May 24, 2027, ahead of graduation activities, while grades K-11 receive final report cards later, on Thursday, June 10, 2027.
Why the Broward County School Calendar Sets August 10 as the Earliest Start Date
Florida law prohibits public schools from starting before August 10 in any given year. Florida Statute 1001.42(f) does not allow Florida schools to begin before August 10, and Florida Statute 1003.02(14)(g)(1) requires all districts to schedule at least 180 teaching days.
Because BCPS must fit 180 instructional days, two full semesters, and a winter break that ends before the new calendar year begins, districts statewide — including Broward — typically start in early August to accumulate enough instructional hours before winter break rather than waiting until after Labor Day.
This statutory framework explains why the Broward County school calendar 2026-2027 begins on the earliest date state law permits.
Complete Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027
Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027
The table below lists every non-instructional day, early release day, and grading milestone on the official 2026-2027 BCPS calendar.
| Date(s) | Designation |
|---|---|
| Monday, August 3 – Friday, August 7, 2026 | Employee Planning Days – No School for Students |
| Monday, August 10, 2026 | First Day of School |
| Monday, September 7, 2026 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (Labor Day) |
| Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | Interim Reports Issued |
| Monday, September 21, 2026 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed |
| Friday, October 9, 2026 | Early Release Day |
| Monday, October 12, 2026 | Employee Planning Day – No School for Students |
| Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | Report Cards Issued |
| Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | Employee Planning Day – No School for Students |
| Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | Interim Reports Issued |
| Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (Veterans Day) |
| Monday, November 23 – Friday, November 27, 2026 | Schools Closed (Thanksgiving Break) |
| Wednesday, November 25 – Friday, November 27, 2026 | Administrative Offices Closed |
| Friday, December 18, 2026 | Early Release Day |
| Monday, December 21 – Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Schools Closed (Winter Break) |
| Wednesday, December 23 – Friday, December 25, 2026 | Administrative Offices Closed |
| Wednesday, December 30 – Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Administrative Offices Closed |
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (New Year’s Day) |
| Monday, January 4, 2027 | Employee Planning Day – No School for Students |
| Wednesday, January 13, 2027 | Report Cards Issued |
| Monday, January 18, 2027 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (MLK Jr. Day) |
| Friday, February 12, 2027 | Early Release Day |
| Monday, February 15, 2027 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (Presidents’ Day) |
| Tuesday, February 16, 2027 | Interim Reports Issued |
| Wednesday, March 10, 2027 | Schools Closed |
| Thursday, March 18, 2027 | Early Release Day |
| Friday, March 19, 2027 | Employee Planning Day – No School for Students |
| Monday, March 22 – Friday, March 26, 2027 | Schools Closed (Spring Break) |
| Friday, March 26, 2027 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed |
| Tuesday, April 6, 2027 | Report Cards Issued |
| Wednesday, April 28, 2027 | Interim Reports Issued |
| Friday, April 30, 2027 | Early Release Day |
| Monday, May 24, 2027 | Report Cards Issued (Grade 12 only) |
| Friday, May 28, 2027 | Early Release Day and Last Day of School |
| Monday, May 31, 2027 | Schools and Administrative Offices Closed (Memorial Day) |
| Tuesday, June 1, 2027 | Employee Planning Day – No School for Students |
| Thursday, June 10, 2027 | Report Cards Issued (Grades K-11) |
Major School Breaks and Holidays
Broward County schools observe three primary multi-day breaks during 2026-2027: Thanksgiving, winter, and spring break. Each break combines student closures with a shorter administrative offices closed window.
Thanksgiving Break 2026
Thanksgiving Break runs Monday, November 23, through Friday, November 27, 2026, giving students a full week off from school.
Administrative offices remain open Monday and Tuesday, closing only from Wednesday, November 25, through Friday, November 27, 2026. Thanksgiving Day itself falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026.
Winter Break 2026-2027
Winter Break spans Monday, December 21, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027, totaling 10 school weekdays across two calendar weeks. Administrative offices close for a narrower window: Wednesday, December 23, through Friday, December 25, 2026, then again Wednesday, December 30, through Thursday, December 31, 2026.
Schools and administrative offices both close on Friday, January 1, 2027, for New Year’s Day. Students return the following week after an Employee Planning Day on Monday, January 4, 2027.
Spring Break 2027
Spring Break runs Monday, March 22, through Friday, March 26, 2027, one week before Easter Sunday. Friday, March 26, 2027 — the final day of Spring Break — is separately marked as Schools and Administrative Offices Closed, which corresponds to Good Friday, observed on March 26, 2027, in the Western Christian calendar this year.
Federal, State, and Cultural Observance Closures
Several single-day closures fall outside the three major breaks.
- Labor Day closes schools and offices on Monday, September 7, 2026.
- Veterans Day closes them on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day closes on Monday, January 18, 2027.
- Presidents’ Day closes them on Monday, February 15, 2027.
- Memorial Day closes them on Monday, May 31, 2027.
Two additional closures on the calendar — Monday, September 21, 2026, and Wednesday, March 10, 2027 — are listed without a named holiday on the official document.
Monday, September 21, 2026, coincides with the conclusion of Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown on September 20, 2026, and ends at nightfall on September 21, 2026.
Wednesday, March 10, 2027, falls near the widely projected date for Eid al-Fitr; multiple lunar-calendar sources place the observance around March 9–10, 2027, though the exact date is confirmed only after the moon-sighting process closer to the date.
Families should treat this correlation as informational rather than an official BCPS holiday label, since the district’s own document does not attach a name to either closure.
Early Release Days, Employee Planning Days, and Grading Periods
BCPS distinguishes between three categories of non-standard school days: Early Release Days (students attend a shortened session), Employee Planning Days (students do not attend at all, but staff report), and Report Card or Interim Report dates (regular instructional days used for grade distribution).
Early Release Days
Broward County schools schedule six Early Release Days for 2026-2027: Friday, October 9, 2026; Friday, December 18, 2026; Friday, February 12, 2027; Thursday, March 18, 2027; Friday, April 30, 2027; and Friday, May 28, 2027.
Five of these six dates double as designated severe weather make-up days, discussed below. Students attend on Early Release Days — these are not days off — but dismissal happens several hours earlier than on the standard schedule.
Employee Planning Days (No School for Students)
Employee Planning Days total five dates spread across the calendar, in addition to the five-day pre-planning week before the school year begins.
The mid-year dates are Monday, October 12, 2026; Tuesday, November 3, 2026; Monday, January 4, 2027; Friday, March 19, 2027; and Tuesday, June 1, 2027 (this final date falls after the last day of school and functions as a post-year closing workday for staff).
On these dates, teachers report for professional development, grading, or administrative work, but students do not attend.
Report Card and Interim Report Dates
Interim reports are issued three times during the year: Wednesday, September 9, 2026; Tuesday, November 10, 2026; and Tuesday, February 16, 2027; plus a fourth interim date on Wednesday, April 28, 2027.
Report cards are issued four times, aligning with the end of each nine-week grading period: Wednesday, October 21, 2026; Wednesday, January 13, 2027; Tuesday, April 6, 2027; and a final distribution split between Monday, May 24, 2027 (Grade 12 only, ahead of graduation) and Thursday, June 10, 2027 (Grades K-11).
Severe Weather Make-Up Days
BCPS builds five contingency make-up days into the 2026-2027 calendar:
- October 9, 2026
- December 18, 2026
- March 18, 2027
- April 30, 2027
- May 28, 2027
Because Broward County sits in a hurricane-prone region of Southeast Florida, the district provides for up to five severe weather makeup days in case storm-related closures cost instructional time. Notably, these five dates are the same dates already designated as Early Release Days on the standard calendar.
In practice, this means BCPS does not typically add separate days to the end of the school year for hurricane closures — instead, a previously scheduled Early Release Day converts to a full instructional day if a make-up day is needed.
If no weather closures occur, these dates remain standard Early Release Days and are not extended.
Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027 vs. 2025-2026
The Broward County school calendar 2026-2027 differs from the 2025-2026 calendar in its start date, end date, and the timing of every major break.
The comparison below places both calendars side by side.
| Calendar Element | 2025-2026 School Year | 2026-2027 School Year |
|---|---|---|
| First Day of School | Monday, August 11, 2025 | Monday, August 10, 2026 |
| Last Day of School | Wednesday, June 3, 2026 | Friday, May 28, 2027 |
| Thanksgiving Break | Monday, November 24 – Friday, November 28, 2025 | Monday, November 23 – Friday, November 27, 2026 |
| Winter Break | Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026 | Monday, December 21, 2026 – Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| Spring Break | Monday, March 16 – Friday, March 20, 2026 | Monday, March 22 – Friday, March 26, 2027 |
| Calendar Approval Process | Approved individually, roughly eight months ahead of the school year | Approved concurrently with the 2027-2028 calendar, nearly 20 months ahead |
The most notable shift is the end-of-year date: the 2026-2027 calendar finishes in May rather than June, moving the last day of school six days earlier on the calendar than in 2025-2026.
Spring Break also shifts later, from mid-March in 2025-2026 to the week of March 22 in 2026-2027, tracking the movement of Easter Sunday from April 5, 2026, to March 28, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Broward County School Calendar 2026-2027
Is there school tomorrow in Broward County?
Whether school is in session on a specific date depends on where that date falls on the calendar above. Use the month-by-month grid to check any date against Employee Planning Days, Schools Closed periods, and Early Release Days — regular instructional days not listed in the table are standard full school days.
What is the difference between an Early Release Day and an Employee Planning Day?
Students attend school on Early Release Days but not on Employee Planning Days. Early Release Days shorten the instructional day while keeping students in attendance; Employee Planning Days close schools to students entirely while staff report for grading, training, or administrative work.
How many severe weather make-up days does the Broward County school calendar include?
The calendar includes five built-in severe-weather make-up days: October 9, 2026; December 18, 2026; March 18, 2027; April 30, 2027; and May 28, 2027. These dates function as standard Early Release Days unless a weather closure requires converting one into a full instructional day.
What This Calendar Does Not Cover
This guide reflects the standard BCPS traditional calendar for K-12 students and does not represent the schedules of Broward County’s 86 charter schools, which set independent calendars that may not align with district dates.
It also does not cover BCPS Virtual School pacing, adult education terms, or summer school sessions, none of which follow the traditional August-to-May structure above.
Emergency revisions issued after a hurricane, public health event, or facilities closure are not reflected here; families should confirm any date shown against browardschools.com/calendars ahead of the affected week, since district communications take precedence over any third-party summary, including this one.
