Do Mississippi school holiday dates vary by district?

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

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

Mississippi has 138 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 427,452 students; the largest, DeSoto County School District, enrolls 34,934 (NCES, 2024-25).

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

Mississippi School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Mississippi in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break March 9 - 13, 2026, and summer break May 23, 2026 - August 2, 2026

Mississippi school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 7, 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	March 9 - 13, 2026Standard spring break window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2026 - August 2, 2026Holiday break

Mississippi School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Mississippi in 2026-27: winter break December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break March 8 - 12, 2027, and summer break May 23, 2027 - August 1, 2027

Mississippi school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 3 - 7, 2026Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026No school
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 12 - 13, 2026Commonly features a short fall break
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2026Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 23 - 27, 2026A full week off is standard in MS
Winter BreakPublic	December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. / Robert E. Lee DayState-Specific	January 18, 2027Joint state holiday observatory
Spring BreakPublic	March 8 - 12, 2027Standard mid-March window
Good FridayPublic	March 26, 2027Observed in all schools
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2027Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027No school
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2027 - August 1, 2027Holiday break

Mississippi School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across Mississippi in 2027-28: winter break December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break March 6 - 10, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

Mississippi school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 2 - 6, 2027Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027No school
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 11 - 12, 2027Commonly features a short fall break
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2027Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 22 - 26, 2027A full week off is standard in MS
Winter BreakPublic	December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. / Robert E. Lee DayState-Specific	January 17, 2028Joint state holiday observatory
Mardi Gras BreakDistrict-Specific	February 8 - 9, 2028Mainly observed in Gulf Coast districts
Spring BreakPublic	March 6 - 10, 2028Standard mid-March window
Good FridayPublic	April 14, 2028Observed in all schools
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2028Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028No school

Largest school districts in Mississippi

5 districts enroll 23% of Mississippi's district students. The other 133 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Largest school districts in Mississippi by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
DeSoto County School DistrictHernando	34,93442 schools	Check the district's website
Rankin County School DistrictBrandon	18,19628 schools	Check the district's website
Jackson Public SchoolsJackson	17,42941 schools	Check the district's website
Harrison County School DistrictGulfport	14,25324 schools	Check the district's website
Madison County SchoolsRidgeland	12,92623 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 Mississippi law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: District option.; Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-61
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-63

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 Mississippi

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

Mississippi districts often follow an early August start. Many observe a full week for Thanksgiving and a short break for Mardi Gras in the gulf coast districts.

Mississippi's 2027-2028 academic year continues the tradition of early August starts and balanced breaks.

Mississippi school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in Mississippi 2026-27?

Winter break in Mississippi (2026-27) is December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027.

When is spring break in Mississippi 2026-27?

Spring break in Mississippi (2026-27) is March 8 - 12, 2027.

When is summer break in Mississippi 2026-27?

Summer break in Mississippi (2026-27) is May 23, 2027 - August 1, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

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

School in Mississippi (2026-27) starts August 3 - 7, 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 Mississippi: