Do South Carolina school holiday dates vary by district?

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

South Carolina School Calendar 2026-2027: Spring Break & Winter Break Dates

South Carolina has 75 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 741,248 students; the largest, Greenville 01, enrolls 77,774 (NCES, 2024-25).

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

South Carolina School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across South Carolina in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break April 6 - 10, 2026, and summer break May 30, 2026 - August 2, 2026

South Carolina school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 18, 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 6 - 10, 2026Standard spring break window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 29, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	May 30, 2026 - August 2, 2026Holiday break

South Carolina School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across South Carolina in 2026-27: winter break December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break April 5 - 9, 2027, and summer break May 30, 2027 - August 15, 2027

South Carolina school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 3 - 17, 2026August start mandated to be no earlier than the third Monday unless waived
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026No school
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2026Observed statewide
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 25 - 27, 2026Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 18, 2027Federal and state holiday
Presidents DayPublic	February 15, 2027Observed statewide
Spring BreakPublic	April 5 - 9, 2027Common spring break window
Confederate Memorial Day (Observed)State-Specific	May 11, 2027State holiday observed by some districts
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 29, 2027Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027Term usually ends before this date
Summer BreakPublic	May 30, 2027 - August 15, 2027Holiday break

South Carolina School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across South Carolina in 2027-28: winter break December 22, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break March 27 - 31, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

South Carolina school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 16, 2027Standard mid-August start
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027No school
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 27 - 31, 2028Standard spring break window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 29, 2028Typically finishes in late May
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028No school

Largest school districts in South Carolina

5 districts enroll 33% of South Carolina's district students. The other 70 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Separately, 7% of South Carolina'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 South Carolina by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
Greenville 01Greenville	77,77492 schools	Check the district's website
Charleston 01Charleston	50,85683 schools	Check the district's website
Horry 01Conway	48,66257 schools	Check the district's website
Berkeley 01Moncks Corner	39,42346 schools	Check the district's website
Richland 02Columbia	28,84132 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 South Carolina law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: Start: no earlier than the third Monday in August.; S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-42
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; School districts must designate 3 days for make-up days, 3 days for professional development, no more than 2 days for preparation of opening of schools, and up to 5 days for teacher planning and parent conferences.; S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-425

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 South Carolina

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

South Carolina districts often provide a 10-day spring break window and have state laws governing the earliest possible start date.

South Carolina's 2027-2028 year continues with the mid-August start standard.

South Carolina school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in South Carolina 2026-27?

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

When is spring break in South Carolina 2026-27?

Spring break in South Carolina (2026-27) is April 5 - 9, 2027.

When is summer break in South Carolina 2026-27?

Summer break in South Carolina (2026-27) is May 30, 2027 - August 15, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

When does school start and end in South Carolina 2026-27?

School in South Carolina (2026-27) starts August 3 - 17, 2026 and ends May 21 - 29, 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 South Carolina: