Howard County Public School System Calendar 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 calendar for Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) has 27 weekdays without school between the first and last day: 15 in three breaks, seven single holidays and five teacher workdays. Classes begin August 24, 2026 and end June 8, 2027; the longest stretch off is winter break, 11 days in a row.

Checking today…

First dayMon, Aug 24, 2026

Last dayTue, Jun 8, 2027

Spring breakMar 22-29, 2027back Tue, Mar 30, 2027

Winter breakDec 24 to Jan 1back Mon, Jan 4, 2027

All 2026-2027 dates

180 student days by our count · Weekends are not listed. Past dates are dimmed.

Howard County Public School System 2026-2027 Academic Calendar dates
Date	Event
Mon, Aug 24, 2026	First day of school
Mon, Sep 7, 2026	Labor Day
Mon, Sep 21, 2026	Yom Kippur (schools and offices closed)
Wed, Sep 30, 2026	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Wed, Sep 30, 2026	Early release
Fri, Oct 16, 2026	Teacher workday, no school for students
Wed, Oct 28, 2026	Teacher workday, no school for students
Tue, Nov 3, 2026	Election Day (schools and offices closed)
Mon, Nov 23 to Tue, Nov 24, 2026	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Mon, Nov 23, 2026	Early release
Tue, Nov 24, 2026	Early release
Wed, Nov 25, 2026	Teacher workday, no school for students
Thu, Nov 26 to Fri, Nov 27, 2026	Thanksgiving Holiday · 2 school days off
Wed, Dec 9, 2026	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Wed, Dec 9, 2026	Early release
Thu, Dec 24, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027	Winter Break · 7 school days off
Mon, Jan 18, 2027	Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tue, Jan 19, 2027	Teacher workday, no school for students
Wed, Feb 3, 2027	Teacher workday, no school for students
Thu, Feb 11 to Fri, Feb 12, 2027	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Elementary schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Thu, Feb 11, 2027	Early release
Fri, Feb 12, 2027	Early release
Mon, Feb 15, 2027	Presidents' Day
Tue, Mar 9, 2027	Eid al Fitr; Staff Professional Learning/Workday (schools closed for students)
Mon, Mar 22 to Mon, Mar 29, 2027	Spring Break · 6 school days off
Thu, Apr 8, 2027	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Thu, Apr 8, 2027	Early release
Mon, May 17, 2027	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Mon, May 17, 2027	Early release
Mon, May 31, 2027	Memorial Day
Wed, Jun 2, 2027	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Wed, Jun 2, 2027	Early release
Mon, Jun 7 to Tue, Jun 8, 2027	No school for half-day pre-K and RECC students (Schools close 3 hours early); other grades attend
Mon, Jun 7, 2027	Early release
Tue, Jun 8, 2027	Early release
Tue, Jun 8, 2027	Last day of school
Wed, Jun 9, 2027	Possible weather make-up day
Thu, Jun 10, 2027	Possible weather make-up day
Fri, Jun 11, 2027	Possible weather make-up day
Mon, Jun 14, 2027	Possible weather make-up day
Tue, Jun 15, 2027	Possible weather make-up day
Wed, Jun 16, 2027	Possible weather make-up day

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Verified against Howard County Public School System’s official 2026-2027 calendar on September 26, 2026 (board-approved version). Confidence: High.

Source: HCPSS 2026-2027 Academic Calendar (PDF) · district calendar page

Note: The Board of Education approved adjustments on June 25, 2026 (January 14-15 became full days, February 11-12 became elementary early dismissals, June 14-16 were added as weather days); this PDF was updated July 31, 2026 and matches the district's key-dates page. The district says its online calendar is the most up-to-date version and the calendar is subject to change. On early dismissal days schools close 3 hours early; the February 11-12 early dismissals are for elementary schools only (parent-teacher conferences). November 25 is a no-school day for students (parent-teacher conferences, all levels), so students are off November 25-27. School is in session December 21-23; Winter Break runs December 24 - January 1 (the key-dates page marks these closures as state-mandated public school holidays, and the district's online calendar, checked September 26, 2026, shows no closures December 21-23). June 9-11 and June 14-16 may be used as inclement weather days; if weather days are used, June 7-8 may become full days. Pre-K/RECC students start August 27. Class of 2027 graduation dates (Merriweather Post Pavilion) are not yet announced.

Break details

Nearby districts

District	First day	Spring break	Last day
Howard County Public School System	Aug 24	Mar 22-29	Jun 8
Baltimore City Public Schools	Aug 24	Mar 26 to Apr 2	Jun 11
Montgomery County Public Schools	Aug 25	Mar 26 to Apr 2	Jun 11
Baltimore County Public Schools	Aug 31	Mar 22-29	Jun 14
District of Columbia Public Schools	Aug 24	Mar 22-26	Jun 17
Anne Arundel County Public Schools	Aug 24	Mar 26 to Apr 2	Jun 11
Frederick County Public Schools	Aug 19	Mar 26 to Apr 2	Jun 4

Frequently asked questions

When is spring break 2027 for Howard County Public School System?

Spring break is Mon, Mar 22 to Mon, Mar 29, 2027. The last day of school before it is Friday, March 19, 2027, and students return Tuesday, March 30, 2027.

When does the 2026-2027 school year start and end for Howard County Public School System?

The first day of school is Monday, August 24, 2026 and the last day is Tuesday, June 8, 2027.

Are there days off for only some grades in Howard County Public School System?

Yes: Wed, Sep 30, 2026 (no school for half-day pre-K and RECC students, Schools close 3 hours early), Nov 23-24, 2026 (no school for half-day pre-K and RECC students, Schools close 3 hours early), Wed, Dec 9, 2026 (no school for half-day pre-K and RECC students, Schools close 3 hours early), Feb 11-12, 2027 (no school for half-day pre-K and RECC students, Elementary schools close 3 hours early) and Thu, Apr 8, 2027 (no school for half-day pre-K and RECC students, Schools close 3 hours early), and more in the table. The other grades have school on those days.

Does Howard County Public School System have a fall break?

The 2026-2027 calendar does not include a fall break. The first multi-day break is Thanksgiving (Nov 26-27, 2026).

Is there school on Good Friday in Howard County Public School System?

No. Friday, March 26, 2027 is a day off for students (Spring Break).

Where do these Howard County Public School System dates come from?

Source: the district's “HCPSS 2026-2027 Academic Calendar”, checked on September 26, 2026. We link the document on this page; if the district changes it, we update the dates and the “verified” date.

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About the district: Howard County Public School System is based in Ellicott City, Maryland (Howard County), with about 57,565 students in 78 schools (NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25). District website: www.hcpss.org. See all Maryland school calendars.