31 days Polk County families need a plan for
Polk County (FL) has 31 weekdays in the 2026-27 school year when school is closed or lets out early, not counting federal holidays. That is 5 more than the median of 26 across the 30 largest US districts. School runs from August 11, 2026 to May 27, 2027.
Plan your year
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Every day off, in order (21)
Fri, Oct 16: No school for students (teacher staff development AM, planning time PM)
Mon, Nov 23: Fall break (also a storm make-up day as needed)
Tue, Nov 24: Fall break (also a storm make-up day as needed)
Wed, Nov 25: Fall break
Fri, Nov 27: Fall break (day after Thanksgiving)
Mon, Dec 21: Winter break
Tue, Dec 22: Winter break
Wed, Dec 23: Winter break
Thu, Dec 24: Winter break
Mon, Dec 28: Winter break
Tue, Dec 29: Winter break
Wed, Dec 30: Winter break
Thu, Dec 31: Winter break
Mon, Jan 4: No school for students (teacher workday)
Tue, Jan 5: No school for students (teacher staff development; also a storm make-up day as needed)
Mon, Mar 15: Spring break week
Tue, Mar 16: Spring break week
Wed, Mar 17: Spring break week
Thu, Mar 18: Spring break week
Fri, Mar 19: Spring break week
Fri, Mar 26: No school for students, teachers and paraeducators (calendar gives no name; date is Good Friday)
Early release days
Fri, Sep 4: Student early dismissal 1 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Oct 2: Student early dismissal 2 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Oct 30: Student early dismissal 3 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Nov 20: Student early dismissal 4 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Dec 18: Student early dismissal 5 of 10 (also end of first semester, last school day before winter break)
Fri, Jan 15: Student early dismissal 6 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Feb 12: Student early dismissal 7 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Mar 12: Student early dismissal 8 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Fri, Apr 23: Student early dismissal 9 of 10 (teacher planning time)
Thu, May 27: Student early dismissal 10 of 10 (also last day of school)
How we counted, and where this comes from
We read the official Polk County 2026-27 calendar on October 4, 2026: https://www.polkschoolsfl.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_3007318/File/Community/Calendars/2026-2027%20English%20School%20Calendar.pdf. A day counts when school is closed for all students on a weekday, or the whole district lets students out early. Holidays that almost every employer observes (Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Memorial Day) are never counted. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veterans Day and Presidents’ Day count as holidays only when the district closes school for that holiday by name, because many employers stay open. That left 7 holidays out of the count here. Calendars change and some days vary by school, so check with your school before you book childcare.