Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: First Day of School

The Arkansas school year opens between July 23 and August 17. Marion School District goes first; Conway Public Schools starts last, 25 days later. Half of the districts are back in class by August 12.

Here is every district grouped by its opening day, so you can see which neighbors start the same week.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Thanksgiving Break

14 Arkansas school districts give the whole week of Thanksgiving off (November 23–27), and 0 districts take a shorter break of two or three days around the holiday.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Winter Break

Winter break in Arkansas runs from 9 to 12 weekdays, with 11 the most common length. The longest is at Cabot Public Schools (December 21, 2026 – January 5, 2027); the shortest is at Bentonville Schools (December 22, 2026 – January 1, 2027).

Arkansas school districts that come back after New Year’s Day on a Monday give families a clean two-week holiday; those returning mid-week split the second week. Check the exact return date in the Arkansas school calendars before booking.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Spring Break

14 districts in Arkansas schedule a spring break of three or more weekdays. The weeks differ, so families with children in two districts often end up with two separate spring breaks.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Last Day of School

The Arkansas school year ends between May 18 and May 28. Mountain Home School District is first out for summer; Marion School District finishes last. Half of the districts are done by May 21.

Snow make-up days are often tacked onto the end of the year, and districts usually settle them only after the last threat of winter weather has passed. A camp deposit for the first week of June is the one most likely to collide with them, so check the last day in these Arkansas school calendars before you pay it.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Fall and February Breaks

8 Arkansas school districts add a fall break of two or more weekdays, mostly in October. 2 districts also take a February break of two or more weekdays, usually around Presidents’ Day.

Fall break examples: Pulaski County Special School District (October 12–16), Conway Public Schools (October 22–23), Fort Smith Public Schools (October 16–19), Van Buren School District (October 16–19).

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: District by District

Benton School District: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 19–Mar 26, semester ends May 21.

Bentonville Schools: starts Aug 11, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 21.

Cabot Public Schools: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 19–Mar 26, last day May 27.

Conway Public Schools: starts Aug 17, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 21.

Fort Smith Public Schools: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 21.

Jonesboro Public Schools: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 19–Mar 26, last day May 26.

Little Rock School District: starts Aug 11, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 21.

Marion School District: starts Jul 23, spring break Mar 17–Mar 29, last day May 28.

Mountain Home School District: starts Aug 11, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 18.

North Little Rock School District: starts Aug 13, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 21.

Pulaski County Special School District: starts Aug 10, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 27.

Searcy School District: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, semester ends May 21.

Springdale School District: starts Aug 10, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 20.

Van Buren School District: starts Aug 12, spring break Mar 19–Mar 26, last day May 19.

Planning Around the Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027

Summer camps open registration months before the Arkansas school year ends. With the last day falling as late as May 28 here, check your district’s date before paying a deposit for the first week of June.

If your children attend two districts, or you share custody across district lines, line up the two calendars side by side. Opening days here are spread over 26 days, and break weeks rarely match exactly.

All Arkansas school calendars on this site come with a calendar file you can add to Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, so the dates show up on your phone next to work and activities.

Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027: Days Off and Early Releases

Counting every weekday with no school between the first and last day, Arkansas school districts give a median of 29 days off. Marion School District has the most (44) and Bentonville Schools the fewest (21).

Early release and conference days vary even more: the median is 4, while Springdale School District lists 17. These are the days working parents feel most, because pickup moves up without a full day off to plan around.

How the Arkansas School Calendars 2026-2027 Are Built

Every date on these Arkansas school calendar pages comes from the calendar each district published on its own website, usually a PDF or image approved by the school board. We read each file, record every first day, break, holiday, early release and last day, and check the dates against the weekday they fall on. Each district page links to its official file, so you can confirm any date in one click.

The side-by-side comparisons on this page, from opening days to Thanksgiving weeks, are worked out from those same dates. No district publishes them, because each district only publishes its own year.