Academic Calendar
This calendar represents academic days and any holiday or event that affects the academic calendar. View the full list of cultural events or holidays celebrated by our diverse School District community.
| TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates: 8/25/25 – 11/10/25 Full Instructional Days: 49 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 1 Interim Reports Due: 9/30/25 Report Card Conf: 11/24/25 – 11/25/25 |
Dates: 11/11/25 – 1/21/26 Full Instructional Days: 35 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 5 Interim Reports Due: 12/11/25 Report Card Conf: 1/29/26 – 1/30/26 |
Dates: 1/22/26 – 3/24/26 Full Instructional Days: 37 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 4 Interim Reports Due: 2/19/26 Report Card Conf: 4/9/26 – 4/10/26 |
Dates: 3/25/26 – 6/12/26 Full Instructional Days: 44 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 6 Interim Reports Due: 5/5/26 |
August 2025 | 5 Student Days; 10 Staff Days
- 18th-22nd: Staff Professional Development & Reorganization (Full Day)
- 25th: First day of school for students
- 25th-29th: Kindergarten interview days (Three Hour Early Dismissal for K only)
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
September 2025 | 20 Student Days; 20 Staff Days
- 1st: Labor Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 12th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 23rd: Rosh Hashanah; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
October 2025 | 20 Student Days; 21 Staff Days
- 2nd: Yom Kippur; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 10th: Staff Professional Development (Full Day); School Closed for Students
- 13th: Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 20th: Diwali
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
November 2025 | 16 Student Days; 16 Staff Days
- 4th: Election Day; Schools closed for students and staff
- 11th: Veterans Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative Offices closed
- 24th, 25th: Report Card Conference (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 26th: 3-Hour Early Dismissal for students and staff
- 27th-28th: Thanksgiving Recess; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 10th: Term 1 Ends
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
December 2025 | 17 Student Days; 17 Staff Days
- 12th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 24th-31st: Winter Recess; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 25th: Christmas Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
January 2026 | 19 Student Days; 20 Staff Days
- 1st: New Year’s Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 2nd: Staff Professional Development (Full Day); School Closed for Students
- 16th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 19th: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 29th, 30th: Term 2 Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
Additional Important Dates: 5th-16th: Keystone Testing Window; 6th: Three Kings Day; 21st: Term 2 Ends
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
February 2026 | 18 Student Days; 18 Staff Days
- 13th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 16th: Presidents’ Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 17th: Lunar New Year; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
March 2026 | 19 Student Days; 19 Staff Days
- 13th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 20th: Eid al-Fitr; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 30th-31st: Spring Recess; Schools closed for students and staff
Additional Important Dates: 24th: Term 3 Ends
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
April 2026 | 19 Student Days; 19 Staff Days
- 1st-2nd: Spring Recess; Schools closed for students and staff
- 3rd: Good Friday; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 9th, 10th: Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 17th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
Additional Important Dates: 20th: PSSA Testing Begins
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
May 2026 | 18 Student Days; 18 Staff Days
- 8th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 19th: Election Day (tentative); Schools closed for students and staff
- 25th: Memorial Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 27th: Eid al-Adha; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 1st: PSSA Testing Ends; 11th-22nd: Keystone Testing Window
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
June 2026 | 10 Student Days; 10 Staff Days
- 11th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 12th: Last Day of School for students and staff; Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students, Full day for Staff
- 19th: Juneteenth; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 10th-12th: Graduation Window
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
July 2026
- 3rd: Independence Day (observed); School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed; No summer programming
Board-approved 2/27/2025
2026-2027 Academic Calendar
This calendar represents academic days and any holiday or event that affects the academic calendar. View the full list of cultural events or holidays celebrated by our diverse School District community.
| TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates: 8/24/26 – 11/6/26 Full Instructional Days: 49 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 1 Interim Reports Due: 9/29/26 Report Card Conf: 11/23/26 – 11/24/26 |
Dates: 11/9/26 – 1/21/27 Full Instructional Days: 37 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 5 Interim Reports Due: 12/10/26 Report Card Conf: 1/28/27 – 1/29/27 |
Dates: 1/22/27 – 3/30/27 Full Instructional Days: 37 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 3 Interim Reports Due: 2/18/27 Report Card Conf: 4/15/27 – 4/16/27 |
Dates: 3/31/27 – 6/10/27 Full Instructional Days: 43 Early Dismissal Instructional Days: 6 Interim Reports Due: 5/4/26 |
August 2026 | 6 Student Days; 11 Staff Days
- 17th-21st: Staff Professional Development & Reorganization (Full Day)
- 24th: First day of school for students
- 24th-28th: Kindergarten interview days (Three Hour Early Dismissal for K only)
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
September 2026 | 20 Student Days; 20 Staff Days
- 7th: Labor Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 18th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 21st: Yom Kippur; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 12th: Rosh Hashanah
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
October 2026 | 20 Student Days; 21 Staff Days
- 9th: Staff Professional Development (Full Day); School Closed for Students
- 12th: Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
November 2026 | 17 Student Days; 17 Staff Days
- 3rd: Election Day; Schools closed for students and staff
- 11th: Veterans Day; Schools closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 23rd, 24th: Term 1 Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 25th: Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students and Staff
- 26th-27th: Thanksgiving Recess; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 6th: Term 1 Ends; 8th: Diwali
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
December 2026 | 16 Student Days; 16 Staff Days
- 11th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 23rd-31st: Winter Recess; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 25th: Christmas Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
January 2027 | 19 Student Days; 19 Staff Days
- 1st: New Year’s Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 15th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 18th: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 28th, 29th: Term 2 Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
Additional Important Dates: 4th-15th: Keystone Testing Window; 6th: Three Kings Day; 21st: Term 2 Ends
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
February 2027 | 18 Student Days; 19 Staff Days
- 12th: Staff Professional Development (Full Day); School Closed for Students
- 15th: Presidents’ Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 6th: Lunar New Year
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
March 2027 | 17 Student Days; 17 Staff Days
- 10th: Eid al-Fitr; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 19th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 22nd-25th: Spring Recess; Schools closed for students and staff
- 26th: Good Friday; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 30th: Term 3 Ends
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
April 2027 | 22 Student Days; 22 Staff Days
- 9th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 15th, 16th: Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
Additional Important Dates: 26th-30th: PSSA Testing
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
May 2027 | 18 Student Days; 18 Staff Days
- 14th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 17th: Eid al-Adha; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
- 18th: Election Day (tentative); School closed for students and staff
- 31st: Memorial Day; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 3rd-7th: PSSA Testing Window; 17th-28th: Keystone Testing Window
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
June 2027 | 8 Student Days; 8 Staff Days
- 9th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- 10th: Last Day of School for students and staff; Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students, Full day for Staff
- 18th: Juneteenth (observed); Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates: 9th-11th: Graduation Window
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
July 2027
- 5th: Independence Day (observed); School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed; No summer programming
View Cultural Events & Holiday Calendar
Board-approved 2/27/2025
Academic Calendar Overview
Policy 803 – School Calendar and the related Administrative Procedures guide how to adopt an annual school calendar that reflects the District’s commitment to our core beliefs and goals, including our commitment to equity. Two committees lead the biannual development of the academic calendar: (1) The Academic Calendar Oversight Committee, which provides oversight to the development of the calendar in preparation for it to be presented to the Superintendent and Board of Education; and (2) The Academic Calendar Stakeholder Engagement Committee, which engages stakeholders through feedback sessions and develops a district-wide academic calendar survey in partnership with the Office of Evaluation, Research and Accountability (ERA). View the Results Here.
Outlined below is a summary of decisions based on the research and feedback, and the corresponding rationale. Our primary goal is to create calendars that support student learning and meet the needs of students, families and staff, as well as adhere to calendar requirements mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Collective Bargaining Units.
Stakeholder Engagement and Research Completed to Date
- 20 feedback sessions from multiple stakeholder groups – 271 participants
- Stakeholder Groups: Families/Community, Teachers, Principals, Office of Teaching and Learning Staff and Academic Coaches, Partner Organizations, Early Childhood Providers, Religious Leaders, Government Officials
- District Wide Academic Calendar Survey (translated in 12 languages) – 16,485 responses
- Collective Bargaining Agreements Review
- Data Analysis of Student and Staff Attendance of Staff during Holidays, Spring and Winter Recesses, and early in the School Year
Academic Calendar Contract and Policy Requirements
The academic calendar must include the following:
- Five national holidays: Independence Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day (24 P.S. § 1502)
- 10 month employees under the PFT contract must have at least 12 paid holidays including the five holidays required by the State (Article XXV, Section A, Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- 181 student days and 188 teacher work days within July 1st and June 30th (Article XVII, Section A, Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- 180 student days OR 900 instructional hours for elementary and middle school students; 990 instructional hours for high school students (24 P.S. §15-1504)
- Five (5) interview half days for all Kindergarten teachers during the first five (5) days of the student school year. (Article XVIII, Section D, Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- Minimum of 28 professional development hours (Article X, Section B, Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- Two (2) evening meetings per year and, provided there is joint agreement by the Principal, the Building Representative, and the President of the Home & School Association (if there is one), a third evening meeting per year. (Article XII, Section B, Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- Payroll Contract Year runs from August 16th-June 15th of a given school year. The payroll contract year drives how the payroll system pays 10-month employees who are paid over 12 months. All school days must fall within this period of time.
2025/26 and 2026/27 Academic Calendar Decisions and Rationale
Listed below is a summary of decisions made based on the data and research, and rationale for what is included in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic calendars.
| First Day of School for Students | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| Staff Return by or after August 16th | The SDP payroll contract year is August 16th to June 15th. Staff must return after August 16th and attend professional development before students return. |
| Students Return before Labor Day | There must be 181 school days for students and 188 work days for staff. Given these constraints, an after Labor Day start is not always possible while keeping all holidays and breaks intact.
Many stakeholders expressed concern over an early start due to heat. However, all groups preferred maintaining days off and full-length breaks, even if it meant starting before Labor Day. |
| Last Day of School for Students | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| School Ends by or before June 15th | The SDP payroll contract year ends on June 15th, so students and staff cannot attend beyond this date. |
| Religious/Cultural Celebrations | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| Weekend holidays will not be observed as days off, except when mandated by Pennsylvania | To meet the 181 school days requirement, only weekday holidays will be observed. |
| Indigenous Peoples Day will be a day off | Previously observed as a day of learning, stakeholders requested Indigenous Peoples’ Day be reinstated as an observed holiday. |
| Veterans Day will be a day off | Previously an in-school learning day, stakeholders requested Veterans Day be reinstated as an observed holiday. |
| Days for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha | Eid dates vary based on moon sightings. SDP will observe dates recommended by religious leaders. |
| Professional Development | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| Four days for professional development before school starts | School leaders and teachers emphasized the need for additional preparation days, leading to an increase in pre-school-year PD days. |
| Winter Recess | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| 8 days of Winter Recess will be prioritized | Stakeholders emphasized the importance of full-length breaks. However, longer recesses posed childcare issues for some families, leading to an 8-day compromise. |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Decision | Rationale |
| Half day before Thanksgiving | To accommodate travel and preparation, stakeholders supported maintaining a half-day schedule before Thanksgiving. |
Previous Calendar Decisions Rationale
SY 23/24 and SY24/25 Academic Calendars: Executive Summary and Decision Rationale
When developing the annual Academic Calendar for The School District of Philadelphia, our primary goal is to establish a schedule that supports student learning and meets the diverse needs of students, families and staff, while also adhering to calendar requirements mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Collective Bargaining Units.
To finalize the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic calendars, we engaged students, staff, community members, and District families in order to understand the priorities of our various audiences, and to ensure that our core beliefs, goals, and commitment to equity is reflected. To learn more about our methods, you can download our Executive Summary and Decision Rationale Deep Dive HERE.