Polk County Public Schools Calendar 2028-29

The PCPS 2028-29 calendar

This is the district's own calendar, as PCPS publishes it. Tap a page to open the full-size image.

Add the PCPS calendar to your phone

Pick a file. Each one is an all-day event per day off or half day, and a break is one event across all its days.

On an iPhone

Tap a file above, then tap Add All. The dates go into the calendar you choose.

In Google Calendar

On a computer, open Google Calendar, then Settings, then Import & export. Choose the file and the calendar to add it to. The dates show up on your Android phone too.

In Outlook

Open the downloaded file, or in Outlook on the web go to Add calendar, then Upload from file.

These files are a copy of the calendar today. If the district changes a date, download the file again.

PCPS vacations and holidays, 2028-29

Every day with no school for students, from the first day to the last: 12 entries and 30 weekdays in all.

PCPS early release days

Ten early release days in all.

Calendar notes: what to plan around

Long weekends and breaks

Every stretch of three or more days with no school, counting weekends. A half day next to a weekend adds half a day.

• 3.5-day weekend: Friday, Sept. 1 at early dismissal to Monday, Sept. 4. Teacher planning time early release and Labor Day. Back Tuesday, Sept. 5.
• 3.5-day weekend: Thursday, Oct. 12 at early dismissal to Sunday, Oct. 15. End of 1st quarter early release and teacher staff development and planning day. Back Monday, Oct. 16.
• 2.5-day weekend: Friday, Oct. 27 at early dismissal to Sunday, Oct. 29. Teacher planning time early release. Back Monday, Oct. 30.
• 3-day weekend: Friday, Nov. 10 to Sunday, Nov. 12. Veterans Day (observed). Back Monday, Nov. 13.
• 9.5 days off in a row: Friday, Nov. 17 at early dismissal to Sunday, Nov. 26. Teacher planning time early release and Thanksgiving break. Back Monday, Nov. 27.
• 19.5 days off in a row: Friday, Dec. 15 at early dismissal to Wednesday, Jan. 3. End of 1st semester early release, winter break, teacher workday and teacher staff development day. Back Thursday, Jan. 4.
• 3.5-day weekend: Friday, Jan. 12 at early dismissal to Monday, Jan. 15. Teacher planning time early release and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Back Tuesday, Jan. 16.
• 3.5-day weekend: Friday, Feb. 16 at early dismissal to Monday, Feb. 19. Teacher planning time early release and Presidents' Day. Back Tuesday, Feb. 20.
• 9.5 days off in a row: Friday, March 9 at early dismissal to Sunday, March 18. End of 3rd quarter early release and spring break. Back Monday, March 19.
• 3-day weekend: Friday, March 30 to Sunday, April 1. Day off for students and staff. Back Monday, April 2.
• 2.5-day weekend: Friday, April 27 at early dismissal to Sunday, April 29. Teacher planning time early release. Back Monday, April 30.
• 3-day weekend: Saturday, May 26 to Monday, May 28. Memorial Day. Back Tuesday, May 29.

Two early releases on a Friday or Monday make a 2.5-day weekend.

Weeks with fewer than five school days

Nine weeks have fewer than five school days, and four weeks have none at all.

Teacher workdays: no school for students

Three of the days off are staff days. Teachers work; students stay home. Plan child care as you would for a holiday.

• Friday, Oct. 13: teacher staff development and planning day
• Tuesday, Jan. 2: teacher workday
• Wednesday, Jan. 3: teacher staff development day

Makeup days

Storm makeup day (if needed), Monday, Nov. 20, Storm makeup day (if needed), Tuesday, Nov. 21, Storm makeup day (if needed), Wednesday, Jan. 3 and Storm makeup day (if needed; last student day), Wednesday, May 30.

Also worth knowing

• School is open on a federal holiday: Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 9). Banks, post offices and many offices close; school does not.
• The calendar prints no parent-teacher conference days.
• The calendar prints no testing dates. Polk posts FAST and end-of-course testing dates on its assessment page.
• Some days off may change: Thanksgiving break, Nov. 20 to 24 (Nov. 20 and 21 become school days if storm makeup days are needed) and teacher staff development day, Jan. 3 (Becomes a school day if a storm makeup day is needed).
• After the last day, the calendar still shows last teacher workday (May 31). Students are already out.

First and last day of school

The first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 10, 2028. The last day is Wednesday, May 30, 2029, with early dismissal.

Teachers start sooner. Staff days before school run Aug. 2 to 9.

Grading periods

Polk grades in four nine-week quarters. The calendar prints 45 school days in the 1st quarter, 84 in the first semester and 96 in the second (180 in all); our count matches each.

What the district notes

• Polk asks families not to buy non-refundable travel tickets for the storm makeup days (Nov. 20 and 21, Jan. 3 and May 30), in case they become school days.
• Student orientation is Monday, Aug. 7 for middle, K-8 and high schools and Tuesday, Aug. 8 for elementary schools.
• Report cards go home Oct. 23, Jan. 17 and March 26, and for elementary students on May 30. Graduation ceremonies begin May 5.

How we checked these dates

We read every date off the district's own calendar twice: once from the PDF's text and once from the image, line by line. Then we checked each one against the Spanish edition of the calendar PDF and the Polk County Public Schools calendars page.

Every weekday on this page matches its date. The district's printed day counts match our own count of its calendar. If the district changes its calendar, its page is the final word.