North Carolina school calendar 2026–2027

North Carolina at a glance

First day of school Aug 25, 2026 Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Last day of school Jun 9, 2027 Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Spring break Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2027 Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Districts tracked 1 with an official calendar

The 2026–2027 year in North Carolina

Charlotte-Mecklenburg is the district we track in North Carolina — about 139,000 students. On its official calendar, classes start on August 25, 2026, winter break runs Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027, spring break runs Mar 29, 2027 – Apr 2, 2027, the last day is June 9, 2027.

The district summarises the year as follows: “Students start August 25, 2026 after teacher workdays from August 17; Thanksgiving break runs November 26–27; winter break runs December 21 to January 1; spring break runs March 29 to April 2, 2027; the last day of school is June 9, 2027. The calendar was approved by the Board of Education on April 8, 2025, calls for at least 1,063 instructional hours, and uses make-up days in this order: January 18, February 15, March 25, June 10 and June 11, 2027.” Every one of those dates is copied from the district page, which is linked in the table below with the date it was checked.

Other districts in the state set their own dates, so treat this as one verified example rather than a statewide rule. Confirm with your own district before booking travel.

Where North Carolina sits among the states we cover

Across the 27 districts we track nationwide, the first day ranges from August 3, 2026 at DeKalb County to September 10, 2026 at New York City. The last day ranges from May 21, 2027 at Fort Worth ISD to June 28, 2027 at New York City.

In North Carolina, the earliest first day among the districts we track is August 25, 2026 at Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and the latest last day is June 9, 2027 at Charlotte-Mecklenburg. A date that is early in one state can be late in another, which is why a national “back to school” date does not exist.

Districts we track: 2026–2027 dates

District	First day	Winter break	Spring break	Last day
Charlotte-Mecklenburg About 139,000 students · Verified Nov 7, 2026	Aug 25, 2026	Dec 21 – Jan 1, 2027	Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2027	Jun 9, 2027

Every date comes from the district’s official calendar. Open a district for the source link, the full event list and the ICS download.

How schools are organised in North Carolina

North Carolina has no single statewide school calendar, but a state law fixes the window: the school year may start no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and must end no later than the Friday closest to June 11. Inside that window each local school district sets its own first day, breaks and last day, so calendars vary from one part of the state to another.

Federal holidays

Full calendar

Date	Holiday
January 1, 2026	New Year’s Day
January 19, 2026	Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 16, 2026	Washington’s Birthday
May 25, 2026	Memorial Day
June 19, 2026	Juneteenth
July 3, 2026	Independence Day (observed)
September 7, 2026	Labor Day
October 12, 2026	Columbus Day
November 11, 2026	Veterans Day
November 26, 2026	Thanksgiving Day
December 25, 2026	Christmas Day

These holidays are federal. Schools in the state follow their own calendars: a federal holiday can be a school day.

Federal holidays vs North Carolina school closures

All federal holidays

Only federal holidays that fall between the first and last day of school are compared. A district can also close on days that are not federal holidays.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg 8 of 9 federal holidays listed as closures

Not listed as closures: Columbus Day — Oct 12, 2026.

Exams

The SAT and ACT run on national dates, not state ones. See the full SAT and ACT 2026–2027 calendar for every session, registration deadline and score release.

Frequently asked questions

When does school start in North Carolina in 2026?

There is no single statewide start date. Among the districts we track, classes begin with Charlotte-Mecklenburg on August 25, 2026.

When is spring break in North Carolina?

Spring break is set district by district, so it is not one week across the whole state. The districts we track break as follows: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Mar 29, 2027 – Apr 2, 2027.

When is the last day of school in North Carolina?

Among the districts we track, the school year ends with Charlotte-Mecklenburg on June 9, 2027.

Do schools in North Carolina close on federal holidays?

Not automatically. Federal holidays close government offices and banks, but each district decides whether to take the day off. This page lists the federal holidays and the district calendars separately so you can see where they line up.

Which North Carolina districts does this site track?

We publish verified calendars for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Every date comes from the district’s official calendar, shown with its source link and the date it was last checked.

Where do the North Carolina dates come from?

They come from each district’s official calendar page. We copy the dates, keep the source and show the verification date. Nothing is estimated: a district whose calendar has not been checked shows no dates.