Do Arizona school holiday dates vary by district?

Yes. The dates on this page are statewide planning windows showing when most Arizona districts take each break; they are not any single district's official calendar. Each district adopts its own calendar, so confirm with your local school before booking travel.

Arizona School Calendar 2026-2027: Spring Break & Winter Break Dates

Arizona has 216 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 869,299 students; the largest, Mesa Unified District, enrolls 55,821 (NCES, 2024-25).

The dates below are statewide planning windows for 2026-27 and 2027-28: our estimate of when most Arizona schools take each break. They are not any one district's official calendar, so check your own district's calendar before booking travel.

Last updated: September 17, 2026 · Next review: January 2027

Dates vary by district. Use the statewide windows below for planning, then confirm with your local school district calendar before booking travel. Read how we source these dates.

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2025-26
2026-27
2027-28

Arizona School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Arizona in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break March 9 - 13, 2026, and summer break May 23, 2026 - July 29, 2026

Arizona school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	July 31 - August 6, 2025Early starts are common in Phoenix and Mesa areas
Labor DayPublic	September 1, 2025No school
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 6 - 10, 2025Many large AZ districts (Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler) observe a 1-week fall break
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2025Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 26 - 28, 2025Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026Christmas and New Year observance
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 19, 2026Civil Rights Day observance
Rodeo DaysState-Specific	February 19 - 20, 2026La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson area schools only)
Presidents DayPublic	February 16, 2026Observed statewide
Spring BreakPublic	March 9 - 13, 2026Most common window for AZ districts
Spring HolidayDistrict-Specific	April 3, 2026Commonly observed in some districts (Good Friday)
Memorial DayPublic	May 25, 2026Summer break usually starts before this date
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2026 - July 29, 2026Holiday break

Arizona School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Arizona in 2026-27: winter break December 21, 2026 - January 4, 2027, spring break March 15 - 19, 2027, and summer break May 23, 2027 - July 28, 2027

Arizona school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	July 30 - August 5, 2026Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026Observed statewide
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 5 - 9, 2026One-week break common in metro districts
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2026Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 25 - 27, 2026Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 21, 2026 - January 4, 2027Winter break for Christmas and New Year
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 18, 2027Civil Rights Day observance
Presidents DayPublic	February 15, 2027Observed statewide
Rodeo DaysState-Specific	February 19 - 20, 2027La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson area schools only)
Spring BreakPublic	March 15 - 19, 2027Mid-March window for major AZ districts
Spring HolidayDistrict-Specific	March 26, 2027Commonly observed in some districts (Good Friday)
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2027End of the school year
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027Summer break usually starts before this date
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2027 - July 28, 2027Holiday break

Arizona School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across Arizona in 2027-28: winter break December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break March 13 - 17, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

Arizona school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	July 29 - August 4, 2027Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027Observed statewide
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 4 - 8, 2027One-week break common in metro districts
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2027Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 24 - 26, 2027Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027Winter break for Christmas and New Year
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 17, 2028Civil Rights Day observance
Presidents DayPublic	February 21, 2028Observed statewide
Rodeo DaysState-Specific	February 25 - 26, 2028La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson area schools only)
Spring BreakPublic	March 13 - 17, 2028Mid-March window for major AZ districts
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2028End of the school year
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028Summer break usually starts before this date

Largest school districts in Arizona

5 districts enroll 23% of Arizona's district students. The other 211 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Separately, 21% of Arizona's public school students attend charter schools or other public agencies outside a regular district. Those schools adopt their own calendars too.

Largest school districts in Arizona by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
Mesa Unified DistrictMesa	55,82182 schools	Check the district's website
Chandler Unified District #80Chandler	41,42148 schools	Check the district's website
Tucson Unified DistrictTucson	40,31690 schools	Check the district's website
Peoria Unified School DistrictGlendale	34,43644 schools	Check the district's website
Deer Valley Unified DistrictPhoenix	32,26541 schools	Check the district's website

Enrollment and district counts: NCES Common Core of Data, LEA directory 2024-25 (via Urban Institute Education Data API). Counts cover regular local school districts; enrollment is fall 2024.

How Arizona law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: Not specified in statute or regulation.
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; Grades 1-3: 712 hours; Grades 4-8: 890 hours; Grades 9-12: 720 hours; Days or hours.; Instructional hour requirement includes lunch.; Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-901; Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-341.01

Source: Education Commission of the States 50-state comparison, published January 2020 (days and hours, start and finish dates). Calendar statutes change, so check the cited section for the current text. Every state side by side: school calendar laws by state.

Good to know in Arizona

Arizona school calendars often feature an early start in August and a dedicated fall break in October. Tucson-area schools uniquely observe 'Rodeo Days' in February.

Arizona's 2027-2028 calendars maintain the early start and Fall Break traditions, with Rodeo Days in late February for the Tucson region.

Arizona school breaks: quick answers

The most searched Arizona dates for 2026-27 at a glance.

When is winter break in Arizona 2026-27?

Winter break in Arizona (2026-27) is December 21, 2026 - January 4, 2027.

When is spring break in Arizona 2026-27?

Spring break in Arizona (2026-27) is March 15 - 19, 2027.

When is summer break in Arizona 2026-27?

Summer break in Arizona (2026-27) is May 23, 2027 - July 28, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

When does school start and end in Arizona 2026-27?

School in Arizona (2026-27) starts July 30 - August 5, 2026 and ends May 20 - 22, 2027.

Sources & verification

The statewide windows are our planning estimates, not transcribed from a single official calendar. District pages linked above are transcribed from each district's own published calendar. Official sources for Arizona:

Arizona Department of Education