- School starts Monday, Aug. 23, 2027 and ends Thursday, June 8, 2028.
- Thanksgiving break: Nov. 24 to 26. Students are out Wednesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 28, back Monday, Nov. 29.
- Winter break: Dec. 20 to Jan. 3. Students are out Saturday, Dec. 18 to Monday, Jan. 3, back Tuesday, Jan. 4.
- Spring break: March 27 to 31. Students are out Saturday, March 25 to Monday, April 3, back Tuesday, April 4.
- The 2027-28 traditional calendar prints no early release or half days.
The WCPSS 2027-28 calendar
This is the district's own calendar, as WCPSS publishes it. Tap it to open the full-size image.
Add the WCPSS calendar to your phone
Pick a file. Each one is an all-day event per day off, 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.
WCPSS vacations and holidays, 2027-28
Every day with no school for students, from the first day to the last: 16 entries and 32 weekdays in all.
| Day off | Dates | Days of the week | School days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day Holiday | Sept. 6 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | Sept. 27 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | Oct. 11 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | Nov. 2 | Tue | 1 |
| Veterans Day Holiday | Nov. 11 | Thu | 1 |
| Thanksgiving break Break | Nov. 24 to 26 | Wed to Fri | 3 |
| Winter break Break | Dec. 20 to Jan. 3 | Mon to Mon | 11 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday | Jan. 17 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | Jan. 24 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | Feb. 21 | Mon | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | March 7 | Tue | 1 |
| Spring break Break | March 27 to 31 | Mon to Fri | 5 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | April 3 | Mon | 1 |
| Holiday Holiday | April 14 | Fri | 1 |
| Teacher workday Staff day | May 5 | Fri | 1 |
| Memorial Day Holiday | May 29 | Mon | 1 |
WCPSS early release days
The 2027-28 traditional calendar prints no early release or half days. Every school day on it is a full day.
Schools can still send their own early dismissal notices, so watch for those.
Calendar notes: what to plan around
Long weekends and breaks
Every stretch of three or more days with no school, counting weekends.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Sept. 4 to Monday, Sept. 6. Labor Day. Back Tuesday, Sept. 7.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Sept. 25 to Monday, Sept. 27. Teacher workday. Back Tuesday, Sept. 28.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Oct. 9 to Monday, Oct. 11. Teacher workday. Back Tuesday, Oct. 12.
- 5-day weekend: Wednesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 28. Thanksgiving break. Back Monday, Nov. 29.
- 17 days off in a row: Saturday, Dec. 18 to Monday, Jan. 3. Winter break. Back Tuesday, Jan. 4.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Jan. 15 to Monday, Jan. 17. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Back Tuesday, Jan. 18.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Jan. 22 to Monday, Jan. 24. Teacher workday. Back Tuesday, Jan. 25.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, Feb. 19 to Monday, Feb. 21. Teacher workday. Back Tuesday, Feb. 22.
- 10 days off in a row: Saturday, March 25 to Monday, April 3. Spring break and teacher workday. Back Tuesday, April 4.
- 3-day weekend: Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 16. Holiday. Back Monday, April 17.
- 3-day weekend: Friday, May 5 to Sunday, May 7. Teacher workday. Back Monday, May 8.
- 3-day weekend: Saturday, May 27 to Monday, May 29. Memorial Day. Back Tuesday, May 30.
Weeks with fewer than five school days
Sixteen weeks have fewer than five school days, and three weeks have none at all.
| Week of | School days | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6 | 4 | Labor Day |
| Sept. 27 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| Oct. 11 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| Nov. 1 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| Nov. 8 | 4 | Veterans Day |
| Nov. 22 | 2 | Thanksgiving break |
| Dec. 20 | 0 | Winter break |
| Dec. 27 | 0 | Winter break |
| Jan. 3 | 4 | Winter break |
| Jan. 17 | 4 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Jan. 24 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| Feb. 21 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| March 6 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| March 27 | 0 | Spring break |
| April 3 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| April 10 | 4 | Holiday |
| May 1 | 4 | Teacher workday |
| May 29 | 4 | Memorial Day |
| June 5 | 4 | After the last day |
Teacher workdays: no school for students
Eight of the days off are staff days. Teachers work; students stay home. Plan child care as you would for a holiday.
- Monday, Sept. 27: teacher workday
- Monday, Oct. 11: teacher workday
- Tuesday, Nov. 2: teacher workday
- Monday, Jan. 24: teacher workday
- Monday, Feb. 21: teacher workday
- Tuesday, March 7: teacher workday
- Monday, April 3: teacher workday
- Friday, May 5: teacher workday
Makeup days
Weather makeup day 1 (if needed), Monday, Oct. 11, Weather makeup day 2 (if needed), Monday, Feb. 21 and Weather makeup day 3 (if needed), Monday, April 3.
Also worth knowing
- The calendar prints no parent-teacher conference days.
- The calendar prints no testing windows. WCPSS posts testing calendars separately on its calendar page.
- After the last day, the calendar still shows teacher workday (June 9). Students are already out.
First and last day of school
The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 23, 2027. The last day is Thursday, June 8, 2028.
Teachers start sooner. Staff days before school run Aug. 16 to 20.
The district prints 177 instructional days across the quarters. Our count of the calendar matches.
Grading periods
WCPSS grades in nine-week quarters. The calendar prints each quarter's end date and its day count. Each quarter starts on the first school day after the last one ends.
| Period | Dates | School days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter | Aug. 23 to Oct. 26 | 44 |
| 2nd quarter | Oct. 27 to Jan. 19 | 44 |
| 3rd quarter | Jan. 20 to March 24 | 44 |
| 4th quarter | April 4 to June 8 | 45 |
What the district notes
- Before any of the three teacher workdays is used, WCPSS has 6 banked instructional days and 5 remote instruction days for weather. District leadership decides the order.
- Under the NC calendar law, if schools must close, the superintendent will update the calendar using teacher workdays, Saturdays (full instructional days), banked hours of instruction or vacation days. Holidays are used only when all other options are exhausted.
- This is the traditional calendar, which most WCPSS schools follow. Year-round and modified calendar schools have their own 2027-28 calendars. Check which calendar your school uses.
Common questions
When does WCPSS start in 2027?
The first day of school for Wake County Public School System is Monday, Aug. 23, 2027.
When is the last day of school for WCPSS in 2028?
The last day for students is Thursday, June 8, 2028.
When is winter break for WCPSS?
Winter break runs Monday, Dec. 20 to Monday, Jan. 3. Counting weekends, students are out Saturday, Dec. 18 to Monday, Jan. 3 and go back Tuesday, Jan. 4.
When is spring break for WCPSS?
Spring break runs Monday, March 27 to Friday, March 31. Counting weekends and the days next to it, students are out Saturday, March 25 to Monday, April 3 and go back Tuesday, April 4.
When is Thanksgiving break for WCPSS?
Thanksgiving break runs Wednesday, Nov. 24 to Friday, Nov. 26. Counting weekends, students are out Wednesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 28 and go back Monday, Nov. 29.
Does WCPSS have early release days in 2027-28?
The 2027-28 traditional calendar prints no early release or half days. Every school day on it is a full day.
How do I put the WCPSS 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 the holidays and the first two weather makeup days against the WCPSS Calendars and Attendance page and the WCPSS 2027-28 modified calendar. The other dates rest on the district's calendar alone.
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.
Where each date is on the district's calendar
- First day, Aug. 23: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, August 2027 grid, 23 starred (legend: First and last days).
- Last day, June 8: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, June 2028 grid, Thursday 8 starred and marked Q (45).
- Teacher workdays, Aug. 16 to 20: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, August 2027 grid, 16 to 20 marked W in orange (legend: Teacher Workday).
- Labor Day, Sept. 6: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, September 2027 grid, 6 marked H in blue (legend: Holiday). Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, September 2027 grid, 6 marked H.
- Teacher workday, Sept. 27: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, September 2027 grid, 27 marked W.
- Teacher workday, Oct. 11: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, October 2027 grid, 11 marked W; also first in the weather make-up list.
- Teacher workday, Nov. 2: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, November 2027 grid, 2 marked W.
- Veterans Day, Nov. 11: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, November 2027 grid, 11 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, November 2027 grid, 11 marked H.
- Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24 to 26: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, November 2027 grid, 24 marked W (Teacher Workday), 25 and 26 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, November 2027 grid, 25 and 26 marked H (24 is a vacation day there).
- Winter break, Dec. 20 to Jan. 3: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, December 2027 grid, 20 and 21 marked W, 22 V, 23 and 24 H, 27 H, 28 to 31 V; January 2028 grid, 3 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, December 2027 grid, 23, 24 and 27 marked H, 28 to 31 V; January 2028 grid, 3 marked H.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, January 2028 grid, 17 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, January 2028 grid, 17 marked H.
- Teacher workday, Jan. 24: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, January 2028 grid, 24 marked W.
- Teacher workday, Feb. 21: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, February 2028 grid, 21 marked W; also second in the weather make-up list.
- Teacher workday, March 7: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, March 2028 grid, 7 marked W.
- Spring break, March 27 to 31: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, March 2028 grid, 27 to 31 marked V in pink (legend: Vacation Day).
- Teacher workday, April 3: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, April 2028 grid, 3 marked W; also third in the weather make-up list.
- Holiday, April 14: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, April 2028 grid, 14 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, April 2028 grid, 14 marked H.
- Teacher workday, May 5: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, May 2028 grid, 5 marked W.
- Memorial Day, May 29: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, May 2028 grid, 29 marked H. Also: WCPSS 2027-2028 Modified Calendar (PDF), from the Modified post on the same page, May 2028 grid, 29 marked H.
- Teacher workday, June 9: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, June 2028 grid, 9 marked W.
- 1st quarter: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, October 2027 grid, 26 marked Q(44).
- 2nd quarter: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, January 2028 grid, 19 marked Q (44).
- 3rd quarter: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, March 2028 grid, 24 marked Q (44).
- 4th quarter: WCPSS 2027-2028 Traditional Calendar (PDF), page 1, June 2028 grid, 8 marked Q (45).