- School starts Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026 and ends Friday, May 21, 2027, an early release day.
- Thanksgiving break: Nov. 23 to 27. Students are out Saturday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 29, back Monday, Nov. 30.
- Winter break: Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. Students are out Saturday, Dec. 19 to Monday, Jan. 4, back Tuesday, Jan. 5.
- Spring break: April 5 to 9. Students are out Saturday, April 3 to Sunday, April 11, back Monday, April 12.
- Two early release days for every school. Details below.
The GCSS 2026-27 calendar
This is the district's own calendar, as GCSS publishes it. Tap it to open the full-size image.
Add the GCSS 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.
GCSS vacations and holidays, 2026-27
Every day with no school for students, from the first day to the last: 12 entries and 31 weekdays in all.
| Day off | Dates | Days of the week | School days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day Holiday | Sept. 7 | Mon | 1 |
| Fall break Break | Oct. 12 to 13 | Mon to Tue | 2 |
| Planning day Staff day | Oct. 14 | Wed | 1 |
| Thanksgiving break Break | Nov. 23 to 27 | Mon to Fri | 5 |
| Winter break Break | Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 | Mon to Fri | 10 |
| Planning day Staff day | Jan. 4 | Mon | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday | Jan. 18 | Mon | 1 |
| February break Break | Feb. 15 to 16 | Mon to Tue | 2 |
| Planning day Staff day | Feb. 17 | Wed | 1 |
| March break Holiday | March 15 | Mon | 1 |
| Planning day Staff day | March 16 | Tue | 1 |
| Spring break Break | April 5 to 9 | Mon to Fri | 5 |
GCSS early release days
Two early release days in all.
| Date | Day | What | Dismissal | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18 | Fri | Early dismissal before winter break | Early dismissal, time not printed | All students |
| May 21 | Fri | Last day of school, early dismissal | Early dismissal, time not printed | All students |
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-day weekend: Saturday, Sept. 5 to Monday, Sept. 7. Labor Day. Back Tuesday, Sept. 8.
- 5-day weekend: Saturday, Oct. 10 to Wednesday, Oct. 14. Fall break and Planning day. Back Thursday, Oct. 15.
- 9 days off in a row: Saturday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 29. Thanksgiving break. Back Monday, Nov. 30.
- 17.5 days off in a row: Friday, Dec. 18 at early dismissal to Monday, Jan. 4. Early dismissal before winter break, winter break and Planning day. Back Tuesday, Jan. 5.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Jan. 16 to Monday, Jan. 18. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Back Tuesday, Jan. 19.
- 5-day weekend: Saturday, Feb. 13 to Wednesday, Feb. 17. February break and Planning day. Back Thursday, Feb. 18.
- 4-day weekend: Saturday, March 13 to Tuesday, March 16. March break and Planning day. Back Wednesday, March 17.
- 9 days off in a row: Saturday, April 3 to Sunday, April 11. Spring break. Back Monday, April 12.
Weeks with fewer than five school days
Seven weeks have fewer than five school days, and four weeks have none at all.
| Week of | School days | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 3 | 4 | Before the first day |
| Sept. 7 | 4 | Labor Day |
| Oct. 12 | 2 | Fall break and Planning day |
| Nov. 23 | 0 | Thanksgiving break |
| Dec. 21 | 0 | Winter break |
| Dec. 28 | 0 | Winter break |
| Jan. 4 | 4 | Planning day |
| Jan. 18 | 4 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Feb. 15 | 2 | February break and Planning day |
| March 15 | 3 | March break and Planning day |
| April 5 | 0 | Spring break |
Teacher workdays: no school for students
Four of the days off are staff days. Teachers work; students stay home. Plan child care as you would for a holiday.
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Planning day
- Monday, Jan. 4: Planning day
- Wednesday, Feb. 17: Planning day
- Tuesday, March 16: Planning day
Makeup days
The calendar has no makeup days: in case of inclement weather, students learn virtually. If school closes for weather, the district announces how the day is made up.
Also worth knowing
- School is open on a federal holiday: Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11). Banks, post offices and many offices close; school does not.
- The district calendar does not list parent-teacher conferences.
- After the last day, the calendar still shows Post-planning days (May 24) and Memorial Day (May 31). Students are already out.
First and last day of school
The first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. The last day is Friday, May 21, 2027, with early dismissal.
Teachers start sooner. Staff days before school run July 27 to Aug. 3.
What the district notes
- If school is closed for bad weather, students learn virtually that day; there are no makeup days on the calendar.
- Graduation is on the last day of school, Friday, May 21.
- The district's Assessment Calendar has the other testing windows by grade, including i-Ready and DIBELS screeners (Aug. 17-28, Nov. 30-Dec. 11 and March 22-April 2) and ACCESS for English learners (Jan. 11-Feb. 19).
Common questions
When does GCSS start in 2026?
The first day of school for Gainesville City School System is Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.
When is the last day of school for GCSS in 2027?
The last day for students is Friday, May 21, 2027. It is an early release day.
When is winter break for GCSS?
Winter break runs Monday, Dec. 21 to Friday, Jan. 1. Counting weekends and the days next to it, students are out Saturday, Dec. 19 to Monday, Jan. 4 and go back Tuesday, Jan. 5.
When is spring break for GCSS?
Spring break runs Monday, April 5 to Friday, April 9. Counting weekends, students are out Saturday, April 3 to Sunday, April 11 and go back Monday, April 12.
When is Thanksgiving break for GCSS?
Thanksgiving break runs Monday, Nov. 23 to Friday, Nov. 27. Counting weekends, students are out Saturday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 29 and go back Monday, Nov. 30.
Does GCSS have early release days in 2026-27?
Yes. Friday, Dec. 18 (Early dismissal, time not printed) and Friday, May 21 (Early dismissal, time not printed) are for every school.
How do I put the GCSS calendar on my phone?
Download one of the .ics files on this page. On an iPhone, open it and tap Add All. On Android or a computer, import it into Google Calendar or Outlook.
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, cell by cell against its legend. Then we checked our count of every school day against the day counts the district prints. They match.
Every weekday on this page matches its date. If the district changes its calendar, its page is the final word.
Where each date is on the district's calendar
- First day, Aug. 4: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, August grid, 4 the first red school day; list "August 4 First Day of School".
- Last day, May 21: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, May grid, 21 shaded orange, "5/21 Early Dismissal"; list "May 21 Last Day of School".
- Pre-planning and open house, July 27 to Aug. 3: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, July grid, 27 to 31 and August grid, 3 shaded blue (key: Staff Planning & Prof. Development, Open House During Pre-Planning); list "July 27 - August 3 Pre-Planning & Open House".
- Labor Day, Sept. 7: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, September grid, 7 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "September 7 Holiday (Labor Day)".
- Fall break, Oct. 12 to 13: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, October grid, 12 and 13 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "October 12 - 13 Fall Break". Also: Gainesville City School System Calendars (26-27 Calendar, District Calendar and Assessment Calendar), District Calendar, Oct. 12 and 13: "Holiday: No School".
- Planning day, Oct. 14: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, October grid, 14 shaded blue (key: Staff Planning & Prof. Development); list "October 14 Planning Day". Also: Gainesville City School System Calendars (26-27 Calendar, District Calendar and Assessment Calendar), District Calendar, Oct. 14: "Staff Planning & Prof Development (No School for Students)".
- Thanksgiving break, Nov. 23 to 27: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, November grid, 23 to 27 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "November 23 - 27 Thanksgiving Break".
- Winter break, Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, December grid, 21 to 25 and 28 to 31 shaded green; January grid, 1 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "Dec. 21 - Jan. 1 Winter Break".
- Planning day, Jan. 4: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, January grid, 4 shaded blue (key: Staff Planning & Prof. Development); list "January 4 Planning Day".
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, January grid, 18 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "January 18 Holiday (MLK)".
- February break, Feb. 15 to 16: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, February grid, 15 and 16 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "February 15 - 16 February Break".
- Planning day, Feb. 17: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, February grid, 17 shaded blue (key: Staff Planning & Prof. Development); list "February 17 Planning Day".
- March break, March 15: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, March grid, 15 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "March 15 March Break".
- Planning day, March 16: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, March grid, 16 shaded blue (key: Staff Planning & Prof. Development); list "March 16 Planning Day".
- Spring break, April 5 to 9: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, April grid, 5 to 9 shaded green (key: Holiday); list "April 5 - 9 Spring Break".
- Post-planning days, May 24 to 25: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, May grid, 24 and 25 shaded blue; list "May 24 - 25 Post Planning".
- Memorial Day, May 31: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, May grid, 31 shaded green (key: Holiday).
- Early dismissal before winter break, Dec. 18: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, December grid, 18 shaded orange; note "12/18 Early Student Dismissal".
- Last day of school, early dismissal, May 21: Gainesville City School System 2026-2027 School Calendar (PDF), page 1, May grid, 21 shaded orange; note "5/21 Early Dismissal"; list "May 21 Last Day of School".