Do Virginia school holiday dates vary by district?

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

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

Virginia has 131 public school districts, and each adopts its own school calendar. Together they enroll 1,257,250 students; the largest, Fairfax County Public Schools, enrolls 179,323 (NCES, 2024-25).

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

Virginia School Holidays 2025-26

The main school holiday breaks observed across Virginia in 2025-26: winter break December 22, 2025 - January 5, 2026, spring break April 6 - 10, 2026, and summer break June 19, 2026 - August 23, 2026

Virginia school holidays for 2025-26
School Holiday	Date
First Day of SchoolPublic	August 25, 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	June 10 - 18, 2026End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	June 19, 2026 - August 23, 2026Holiday break

Virginia School Holidays 2026-27

The main school holiday breaks observed across Virginia in 2026-27: winter break December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027, spring break March 29 - April 2, 2027, and summer break June 19, 2027 - August 22, 2027

Virginia school holidays for 2026-27
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2026-27)Public	August 24 - September 8, 2026Varies; many districts now start before Labor Day
Labor DayPublic	September 7, 2026Schools closed statewide
Election DayPublic	November 3, 2026State holiday; most schools closed
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	March 29 - April 2, 2027Common spring break window
Memorial DayPublic	May 31, 2027No school
Last Day of SchoolPublic	June 10 - 18, 2027End of the school year
Summer BreakPublic	June 19, 2027 - August 22, 2027Holiday break

Virginia School Holidays 2027-28

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

Virginia school holidays for 2027-28
School Holiday	Date
First Day of School (2027-28)Public	August 23 - September 7, 2027Many districts now start in late August
Labor DayPublic	September 6, 2027Schools closed statewide
Election DayPublic	November 2, 2027State holiday in VA
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
Memorial DayPublic	May 29, 2028No school
Last Day of SchoolPublic	June 10 - 18, 2028End of the school year

Virginia district calendars

The dates above are the statewide window. These districts publish their own calendars, and where they differ, the district date is the one that applies to your school:

Prince William County Schools calendar
School starts August 24, 2026, ends June 17, 2027.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools calendar
School starts August 24, 2026, ends June 11, 2027.

Largest school districts in Virginia

5 districts enroll 38% of Virginia's district students. The other 126 districts each set a calendar of their own, so two schools a few miles apart can break in different weeks.

Largest school districts in Virginia by enrollment, 2024-25
District	Students	Calendar
Fairfax County Public SchoolsFalls Church	179,323223 schools	Check the district's website
Prince William County Public SchoolsManassas	90,24298 schools	View dates
Loudoun County Public SchoolsAshburn	81,486102 schools	Check the district's website
Virginia Beach City Public SchoolsVirginia Beach	64,73188 schools	View dates
Chesterfield County Public SchoolsChesterfield	64,19473 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 Virginia law shapes the school calendar

Start and end dates: Start: no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day.; Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-79.1
Minimum instructional time: 180 days; Kindergarten: 540 hours; Grades 1-12: 990 hours; Days or hours.; Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-79.1; Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-98

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 Virginia

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

Virginia districts have transitioned from the 'Kings Dominion Law' (post-Labor Day start) to more flexible August start dates.

Virginia's 2027-2028 year continues with widespread August starts and Election Day closures.

Virginia school breaks: quick answers

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

When is winter break in Virginia 2026-27?

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

When is spring break in Virginia 2026-27?

Spring break in Virginia (2026-27) is March 29 - April 2, 2027.

When is summer break in Virginia 2026-27?

Summer break in Virginia (2026-27) is June 19, 2027 - August 22, 2027. Exact dates vary by district — confirm with your local school calendar.

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

School in Virginia (2026-27) starts August 24 - September 8, 2026 and ends June 10 - 18, 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 Virginia: