Do Nebraska school holiday dates vary by district?

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

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

Nebraska has 245 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 330,136 students; the largest, Omaha Public Schools, enrolls 52,524 (NCES, 2024-25).

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

Nebraska School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Nebraska in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break March 9 - 13, 2026, and summer break May 23, 2026 - August 11, 2026

Nebraska school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 12, 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 11, 2026Holiday break

Nebraska School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Nebraska in 2026-27: winter break December 23, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break March 15 - 19, 2027, and summer break May 23, 2027 - August 10, 2027

Nebraska school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 12 - 17, 2026Mid-August start is standard
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026No school
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2026Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 25 - 27, 2026Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 23, 2026 - January 1, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 18, 2027Federal holiday
Presidents DayPublic	February 15, 2027No school for many districts
Spring BreakPublic	March 15 - 19, 2027Standard mid-March window
Arbor DayState-Specific	April 24, 2027State holiday originating in Nebraska
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2027Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027Term usually ends before this date
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2027 - August 10, 2027Holiday break

Nebraska School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across Nebraska in 2027-28: winter break December 22, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break March 13 - 17, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

Nebraska school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 11 - 16, 2027Mid-August start is standard
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027Schools closed statewide
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2027Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 24 - 26, 2027Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 22, 2027 - December 31, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 17, 2028Federal holiday
Presidents DayPublic	February 21, 2028Observed statewide
Spring BreakPublic	March 13 - 17, 2028Standard mid-March window
Arbor DayState-Specific	April 22, 2028State holiday originating in Nebraska
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 20 - 22, 2028Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028Public holiday

Largest school districts in Nebraska

5 districts enroll 43% of Nebraska's district students. The other 240 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Largest school districts in Nebraska by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
Omaha Public SchoolsOmaha	52,524112 schools	Check the district's website
Lincoln Public SchoolsLincoln	42,30178 schools	Check the district's website
Millard Public SchoolsOmaha	23,25336 schools	Check the district's website
Papillion La Vista Community SchoolsPapillion	12,06922 schools	Check the district's website
Elkhorn Public SchoolsElkhorn	11,65320 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 Nebraska law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: Set by the State Board of Education.; Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-101
Minimum instructional time: Kindergarten: 400 hours; Grades 1-8: 1,032 hours; Grades 9-12: 1,080; Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-211; Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-212

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 Nebraska

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

Nebraska uniquely celebrates Arbor Day in late April, which is a state holiday often resulting in school closures.

Nebraska's 2027-2028 academic year includes the observation of Arbor Day in late April.

Nebraska school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in Nebraska 2026-27?

Winter break in Nebraska (2026-27) is December 23, 2026 - January 1, 2027.

When is spring break in Nebraska 2026-27?

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

When is summer break in Nebraska 2026-27?

Summer break in Nebraska (2026-27) is May 23, 2027 - August 10, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

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

School in Nebraska (2026-27) starts August 12 - 17, 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 Nebraska: