Gwinnett County Public Schools: 2026-27 School Calendar

The first day of school for students in Gwinnett County Public Schools is Wednesday, August 5, 2026. This applies to all elementary, middle, and high schools across the district.

The last day of school is Wednesday, May 26, 2027, which is the 180th instructional day. High school students have early release May 24-26 for final exams, and teachers have post-planning on May 27-28.

Yes! Fall Break is Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16, 2026. Students return to school on Monday, October 19. This 5-day break is a great time for families to plan trips to the North Georgia mountains or Lake Lanier before the weather gets cold.

Spring Break is Monday, April 5 through Friday, April 9, 2027. Students have the full week off and return to school on Monday, April 12, 2027.

High school students have early release for three days during semester exams: December 16-18, 2026 (end of first semester) and May 24-26, 2027 (end of second semester/final exams). Elementary and middle school students follow regular schedules on these days.

Yes! The calendar includes major teacher workdays when students don't attend school, such as the teacher planning/staff development day on January 4, 2027 (student holiday), and teacher post-planning days on May 27-28, 2027. However, individual schools may have additional early release days for professional learning - check with your specific school for those dates.

Winter Break runs from Monday, December 21, 2026 through Friday, January 1, 2027. Students return on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, after a teacher planning day on January 4. This gives families about two weeks off over the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Break is Monday, November 23 through Friday, November 27, 2026. Students get the full week off, including Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26. School resumes the following Monday, November 30.

Yes! Elementary and middle school students have early release on October 28-29, 2026 and March 3-4, 2027. These are in addition to the high school early release days for semester exams. Check with your specific school for exact dismissal times on these days.

GCPS has Student/Teacher Holidays from Friday, February 12 through Tuesday, February 16, 2027. This long weekend overlaps with Presidents' Day and gives students and staff a multi-day break during the second semester.

The GCPS 2026-27 school year has 180 instructional days, running from August 5, 2026 to May 26, 2027. The first semester ends on December 18 (Day 87) and the second semester begins on January 5 (Day 88). If inclement weather causes school closures, GCPS will make up days using Digital Learning Days or by extending the school day or year.

GCPS has three Digital Learning Days in 2026-27: Friday, September 18, 2026, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and Friday, March 19, 2027. On these days students learn from home using their district-issued Chromebooks — they do not report to school buildings. Parents should plan for childcare since kids will be home all day. Digital Learning Days also serve as the primary make-up mechanism if inclement weather forces school closures.

Students are off on: Labor Day (Sep 7), Digital Learning Days (Sep 18, Nov 3, Mar 19 — students at home), Fall Break (Oct 12-16), Thanksgiving Break (Nov 23-27), Winter Break (Dec 21-Jan 1), Teacher Planning Day (Jan 4), MLK Jr. Day (Jan 18), Student/Teacher Holidays (Feb 12-16), Spring Break (Apr 5-9), and Memorial Day (May 31). Early release days are also scheduled for Oct 28-29 and Mar 3-4 (elementary/middle) and Dec 16-18 and May 24-26 (high school exams).

When inclement weather forces school closures, GCPS uses Digital Learning Days as the primary make-up mechanism. The district has three built-in Digital Learning Days (Sep 18, Nov 3, Mar 19) that can be repurposed. For closure announcements, check the GCPS website (gcpsk12.org), the ParentSquare app, or local news stations like WSB-TV (Channel 2) and 11Alive. GCPS may also extend the school day or school year if additional make-up time is needed.

GCPS families can use the ParentVUE portal for grades and attendance, and the ParentSquare app for school-to-home communications and announcements. Individual schools also send updates through their cluster newsletters. For district-wide schedule changes or weather closures, check gcpsk12.org or follow GCPS on social media. You can also subscribe to our auto-updating Google Calendar to get all key dates synced directly to your phone.