The Highland Park ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2026–27 academic calendar at its December 16 meeting.
The adopted calendar calls for the school year to begin on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, and conclude on Friday, May 28, 2027.
The calendar was developed by a district calendar committee that included representation from the Board of Trustees, campus and district administrators, as well as elementary and secondary parents and teachers.
The approved calendar meets all state requirements, providing a minimum of 75,600 instructional minutes—the equivalent of 172 seven-hour instructional days—and includes 187 teacher contract days.
As part of the development process, two proposed calendar drafts were shared through an email survey to gather feedback from parents, teachers, and staff. A total of 1,443 responses were received. After reviewing survey feedback and collaborating with the calendar committee, the District Leadership Committee (DLC) recommended the calendar for approval, which was subsequently approved by the Board of Trustees.
Highlights of the 2026–27 Academic Calendar include:
- First Day of School: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- Thanksgiving Break: November 23–27, 2026
- Winter Break for Students: December 21, 2026–January 5, 2027
- Spring Break: March 15-19, 2027
- Last Day of School: Friday, May 28, 2027
- Highland Park High School Graduation: Friday, May 28, 2027
Additional holidays and important dates are noted in the calendar key.
The calendar also includes two state-required bad weather make-up days on Friday, March 26, and Monday, March 29. If no bad weather make-up days are needed, these dates will become holidays for students and staff.
Frequently Asked Questions about the 2026–27 calendar can be viewed here.