California School Calendar 2026-2027: Spring Break & Winter Break Dates
California runs the largest school system in the country with nearly 1,000 local school districts — and there is no single statewide calendar. Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest district in the nation, San Diego Unified, San Francisco Unified and hundreds of smaller districts each set their own dates inside broad state windows. For 2026-27 and 2027-28, most California schools open between August 10 and 17 and finish between June 4 and 10.
Two California-only observances shape the calendar. Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) is a mandatory school holiday statewide, and many Northern California districts take a full February break — locally called Ski Week — around Presidents Day, while Southern California districts usually stay in session. Lincoln's Day (February 9) is another date that appears on California calendars but rarely elsewhere.
Because start dates, Ski Week and spring break all move by district, use the statewide windows below for planning, then confirm with your district — especially in large metro areas where neighboring districts can differ by a week or more.
The dates below are statewide planning windows for 2026-27 and 2027-28: our estimate of when most California 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: · 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.
California district calendars
The dates above are the statewide window. These districts publish their own calendars, and where they differ, the district date is the one that applies to your school:
- Los Angeles Unified calendar
School starts August 12, 2026, ends June 4, 2027.
- San Diego Unified calendar
School starts August 10, 2026, ends May 26, 2027.
Largest school districts in California
5 districts enroll 13% of California's district students. The other 981 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.
Separately, 10% of California's public school students attend charter schools or other public agencies outside a regular district. Those schools adopt their own calendars too.
| District | Students | Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles UnifiedLos Angeles | 408,026784 schools | View dates |
| San Diego UnifiedSan Diego | 95,175175 schools | View dates |
| Fresno UnifiedFresno | 68,131101 schools | District website |
| Elk Grove UnifiedElk Grove | 63,42167 schools | Check the district's website |
| Long Beach UnifiedLong Beach | 62,64482 schools | District 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 California law shapes the school calendar
- Start and end dates
- District option.
- Cal. Educ. Code § 37618
- Minimum instructional time
- 180 days
- Kindergarten: 36,000 minutes
- Grades 1-3: 50,400 minutes
- Grades 4-8: 54,000 minutes
- Grades 9-12: 64,800 minutes
- For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to:
- Kindergarten: 600 hours
- Grades 1-3: 840 hours
- Grades 4-8: 900 hours
- Grades 9-12: 1,080 hours.
- Select districts are required 175 days.
- Cal. Educ. Code § 46200; Cal. Educ. Code § 46201
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 California
California's Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) is a mandatory state holiday for schools. Northern California districts often observe a full 'February Break' known as Ski Week.
California's 2027-2028 schedule continues to prioritize the Cesar Chavez Day observance and the mid-August start window.
California school breaks: quick answers
The most searched California dates for 2026-27 at a glance.
When is winter break in California 2026-27?
Winter break in California (2026-27) is December 21, 2026 - January 8, 2027.
When is spring break in California 2026-27?
Spring break in California (2026-27) is March 29 - April 2, 2027.
When is summer break in California 2026-27?
Summer break in California (2026-27) is June 11, 2027 - August 8, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.
When does school start and end in California 2026-27?
School in California (2026-27) starts August 10 - 17, 2026 and ends June 4 - 10, 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 California:
Compare with other states
Planning guides:
- When does school start in America? Start dates by state
- When does school end in America? Last day of school by state
- US summer break 2027 dates by state
- Spring break 2027 & 2028 dates by state
- Winter break dates by state
- Thanksgiving break dates by state
- Easter school holidays and the spring break overlap
- Back-to-school planning guide
- Easter and Good Friday dates 2027-2036
- Thanksgiving dates 2027-2036
Research from our own calendar data: