Do Tennessee school holiday dates vary by district?

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

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

Tennessee has 141 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 993,178 students; the largest, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, enrolls 111,124 (NCES, 2024-25).

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

Tennessee School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Tennessee in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break March 30 - April 3, 2026, and summer break May 23, 2026 - August 9, 2026

Tennessee school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 4, 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 30 - April 3, 2026Standard spring break window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 22, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2026 - August 9, 2026Holiday break

Tennessee School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Tennessee in 2026-27: winter break December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break March 15 - 19, 2027, and summer break May 23, 2027 - August 8, 2027

Tennessee school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 10 - 11, 2026Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026No school
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 5 - 9, 2026Very common in Tennessee districts
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
Spring BreakPublic	March 15 - 19, 2027Standard mid-March window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 22, 2027End of the school year
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027No school
Summer BreakPublic	May 23, 2027 - August 8, 2027Holiday break

Tennessee School Holidays 2027-28

The main school holiday breaks observed across Tennessee in 2027-28: winter break December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027, spring break March 13 - 17, 2028, and summer break (varies by district)

Tennessee school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 9, 2027Early August start standard
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027No school
Fall BreakDistrict-Specific	October 11 - 15, 2027Very common in TN districts
Veterans DayPublic	November 11, 2027Public holiday
Thanksgiving BreakPublic	November 24 - 26, 2027Holiday break
Winter BreakPublic	December 20, 2027 - December 31, 2027Holiday break
MLK Jr. DayPublic	January 17, 2028Federal and state holiday
Spring BreakPublic	March 13 - 17, 2028Standard mid-March window
Last Day of SchoolPublic	May 21 - 22, 2028End of the school year
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028No school

Largest school districts in Tennessee

5 districts enroll 35% of Tennessee's district students. The other 136 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Largest school districts in Tennessee by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
Memphis-Shelby County SchoolsMemphis	111,124223 schools	Check the district's website
Davidson CountyNashville	81,021162 schools	Check the district's website
Knox CountyKnoxville	60,18595 schools	Check the district's website
Rutherford CountyMurfreesboro	52,12755 schools	Check the district's website
Hamilton CountyChattanooga	45,98182 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 Tennessee law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: Start date: no earlier than August 1st.; Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; Must also schedule 5 days for in-service and 1 day for teacher-parent conferences.; Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004

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 Tennessee

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

Tennessee districts often follow a 'balanced' calendar with a full week for fall break in early October.

Tennessee's 2027-2028 year continues with early August starts and popular fall break windows.

Tennessee school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in Tennessee 2026-27?

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

When is spring break in Tennessee 2026-27?

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

When is summer break in Tennessee 2026-27?

Summer break in Tennessee (2026-27) is May 23, 2027 - August 8, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

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

School in Tennessee (2026-27) starts August 10 - 11, 2026 and ends May 21 - 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 Tennessee: