Do Massachusetts school holiday dates vary by district?

Yes. The dates on this page are statewide planning windows showing when most Massachusetts 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.

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

Massachusetts has 322 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 867,740 students; the largest, Boston, enrolls 46,094 (NCES, 2024-25).

The dates below are statewide planning windows for 2026-27 and 2027-28: our estimate of when most Massachusetts 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.

Navigate to school year:

2025-26
2026-27
2027-28

Massachusetts School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Massachusetts in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break April 20 - 24, 2026, and summer break June 24, 2026 - August 30, 2026

Massachusetts school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 27, 2025The school year begins
Labor DayPublic	September 1, 2025Schools closed statewide
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2025Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 24 - 28, 2025Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 19, 2026Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents DayPublic	February 16, 2026Observed statewide
Memorial DayPublic	May 25, 2026No school
Spring BreakPublic	April 20 - 24, 2026Standard spring break window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	June 16 - 23, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	June 24, 2026 - August 30, 2026Holiday break

Massachusetts School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Massachusetts in 2026-27: winter break December 24, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break April 19 - 23, 2027, and summer break June 24, 2027 - August 29, 2027

Massachusetts school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 31 - September 2, 2026Late August or post-Labor Day start
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026Schools closed statewide
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2026Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 25 - 27, 2026Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 24, 2026 - January 1, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 18, 2027Federal and state holiday
February VacationPublic	February 15 - 19, 2027Standard mid-winter break
Spring Break (April)Public	April 19 - 23, 2027Aligned with Patriots' Day in Massachusetts
Patriots' DayState-Specific	April 19, 2027State holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027No school
Last Day of SchoolPublic	June 16 - 23, 2027Depends on snowfall and makeup days
Summer BreakPublic	June 24, 2027 - August 29, 2027Holiday break
JuneteenthPublic	June 19, 2027Observed statewide

Massachusetts School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across Massachusetts in 2027-28: winter break December 23, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break April 17 - 21, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

Massachusetts school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 30 - September 1, 2027Typically begins late August or post-Labor Day
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027Schools closed statewide
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2027Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 25 - 26, 2027Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 23, 2027 - December 31, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 17, 2028Federal and state holiday
Presidents DayPublic	February 21, 2028Observed statewide
February BreakPublic	February 21 - 25, 2028Standard mid-winter break in MA
Patriots' DayState-Specific	April 17, 2028State holiday; public schools closed
Spring BreakPublic	April 17 - 21, 2028Coincides with Patriots' Day
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028No school
Last Day of SchoolPublic	June 16 - 23, 2028Depends on snowfall and makeup days

Largest school districts in Massachusetts

5 districts enroll 15% of Massachusetts's district students. The other 317 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Separately, 5% of Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
BostonRoxbury	46,094108 schools	Check the district's website
WorcesterWorcester	24,77847 schools	Check the district's website
SpringfieldSpringfield	23,67066 schools	Check the district's website
LynnLynn	16,36427 schools	Check the district's website
BrocktonBrockton	15,28024 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 Massachusetts law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: District option.; 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.03
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; Kindergarten: 425 hours; Grades 1-5: 900 hours; Grades 6-12: 990 hours; Schools must schedule at least 185 days.; Seniors may graduate up to 12 days early.; Breakfast and lunch, passing between classes, homeroom, recess, non-directed study periods, school services, and optional school programs do not count towards instructional time.; 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.03; 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.04; 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.05

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 Massachusetts

Most districts follow this calendar pattern, though private schools may vary a bit on start dates and religious holidays.

Massachusetts schools uniquely observe Patriots' Day in April, which defines the spring vacation window for almost all districts.

Massachusetts's 2027-2028 year continues with the established February and April break cycles.

Massachusetts school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in Massachusetts 2026-27?

Winter break in Massachusetts (2026-27) is December 24, 2026 - January 1, 2027.

When is spring break in Massachusetts 2026-27?

Spring break in Massachusetts (2026-27) is April 19 - 23, 2027.

When is summer break in Massachusetts 2026-27?

Summer break in Massachusetts (2026-27) is June 24, 2027 - August 29, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

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

School in Massachusetts (2026-27) starts August 31 - September 2, 2026 and ends June 16 - 23, 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 Massachusetts: