What is the point of early release days?

Usually teacher time. The 1,300 early release days we counted appear as 1,173 calendar entries (some entries cover several days);383 entries name professional development, staff or teacher work and 276 name parent-teacher conferences; many others carry no reason beyond the dismissal itself.

How many early release days are in a school year?

4 days at the typical district we track for 2026-27, but the range runs from none (44 districts) to 40 at North Scott Community School District.

What day of the week is early release?

Most often Wednesday: 40% of the early release days we counted, ahead of Thursday (20%) and Friday (17%).

Is the day before Thanksgiving an early release day?

At 26 of the 179 districts we track, the last school day before Thanksgiving break is an early release; 21 release early on Wednesday, November 25, 2026. Many others close for the whole week.

Is the last day of school a half day?

At 32 of the 179 districts we track, the 2026-27 calendar marks the last day as an early release.

Early Release Days 2026-27: How Many Does Each District Have?

Early release days 2026-27 range from none at 44 of 179 school districts to 40 at North Scott Community School District, Iowa; Wednesday is the most common early release day, 40% of all 1,300 we counted.

Early release days 2026-27: districts by number of early release days, by state

20 or more early release days1 to 19None

state	Typical district	Most	Districts with none
Iowa	29 days	40 (North Scott Community School District)	2 of 11
Connecticut	14 days	38 (South Windsor Public Schools)	0 of 27
Kansas	6 days	12 (Olathe Public Schools)	1 of 11
Nebraska	6 days	16 (Bennington Public Schools)	3 of 19
Missouri	5 days	39 (Raytown Quality Schools)	3 of 18
Arkansas	4 days	17 (Springdale School District)	5 of 14
Louisiana	4 days	10 (Jefferson Parish Schools)	2 of 9
New Hampshire	2 days	7 (Salem School District)	4 of 13
New Mexico	2 days	32 (Carlsbad Municipal Schools)	4 of 14
Mississippi	1 day	4 (Jackson Public Schools)	3 of 9
North Dakota	1 day	22 (Grand Forks Public Schools)	4 of 9
Rhode Island	1 day	18 (Coventry Public Schools)	7 of 14
West Virginia	0 days	7 (Berkeley County Schools)	6 of 11

By the School Year Calendars team · Updated October 15, 2026

Which Districts Have the Most Early Release Days 2026-27?

The ten districts with the most early release days 2026-27 are North Scott Community School District (40), Iowa City Community School District (39), Norwalk Community School District (39), Raytown Quality Schools (39), Ottumwa Community School District (38), Sioux City Community Schools (38), South Windsor Public Schools (38), Meriden Public Schools (37), Francis Howell School District (35) and Waterbury Public Schools (34). 11 districts with 20 or more release early on the same weekday nearly every week:North Scott Community School District on Fridays, Iowa City Community School District on Thursdays, Norwalk Community School District on Wednesdays, Raytown Quality Schools on Wednesdays, Ottumwa Community School District on Fridays, Sioux City Community Schools on Fridays, Meriden Public Schools on Thursdays, Francis Howell School District on Wednesdays, Waterbury Public Schools on Wednesdays, Carlsbad Municipal Schools on Mondays and Fort Zumwalt School District on Wednesdays.

What Day of the Week Are Early Release Days?

Of the 1,300 early release days 2026-27 in the calendars we read, 519 fall on a Wednesday (40%), 259 fall on a Thursday (20%), 216 fall on a Friday (17%), 162 fall on a Tuesday (12%) and 144 fall on a Monday (11%). Many districts use the time for teacher training or parent-teacher conferences: 383 early release entries name professional development, staff or teacher work, and 276 name conferences.

How Many Early Release Days 2026-27 Does Each State Have?

Iowa stands apart: the typical Iowa district we cover has 29 early release days, against 14 in Connecticut and 6 in Kansas. At the other end, the typical district in Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island and West Virginia has one or none.

Iowa: 29 early release days for the typical district

Of the 11 Iowa districts we cover, the most is North Scott Community School District with 40, mostly on Fridays. 2 of 11 have none.

Connecticut: 14 early release days for the typical district

Of the 27 Connecticut districts we cover, the most is South Windsor Public Schools with 38, mostly on Wednesdays. Every district we cover has at least one.

Kansas: 6 early release days for the typical district

Of the 11 Kansas districts we cover, the most is Olathe Public Schools with 12. 1 of 11 has none.

Nebraska: 6 early release days for the typical district

Of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover, the most is Bennington Public Schools with 16. 3 of 19 have none.

Missouri: 5 early release days for the typical district

Of the 18 Missouri districts we cover, the most is Raytown Quality Schools with 39, mostly on Wednesdays. 3 of 18 have none.

Arkansas: 4 early release days for the typical district

Of the 14 Arkansas districts we cover, the most is Springdale School District with 17. 5 of 14 have none.

Louisiana: 4 early release days for the typical district

Of the 9 Louisiana districts we cover, the most is Jefferson Parish Schools with 10. 2 of 9 have none.

New Hampshire: 2 early release days for the typical district

Of the 13 New Hampshire districts we cover, the most is Salem School District with 7. 4 of 13 have none.

New Mexico: 2 early release days for the typical district

Of the 14 New Mexico districts we cover, the most is Carlsbad Municipal Schools with 32, mostly on Mondays. 4 of 14 have none.

Mississippi: 1 early release day for the typical district

Of the 9 Mississippi districts we cover, the most is Jackson Public Schools with 4. 3 of 9 have none.

North Dakota: 1 early release day for the typical district

Of the 9 North Dakota districts we cover, the most is Grand Forks Public Schools with 22, mostly on Wednesdays. 4 of 9 have none.

Rhode Island: 1 early release day for the typical district

Of the 14 Rhode Island districts we cover, the most is Coventry Public Schools with 18. 7 of 14 have none.

West Virginia: 0 early release days for the typical district

Of the 11 West Virginia districts we cover, the most is Berkeley County Schools with 7. 6 of 11 have none.

When Do Early Release Days 2026-27 Fall?

The busiest early release days 2026-27 are Wednesday, December 23, 2026 (27), Wednesday, October 14, 2026 (25), Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (24), Friday, December 18, 2026 (24) and Wednesday, February 10, 2027 (22). The pattern is the last school day before a break: 61 districts release early on their last day before winter break and 26 on their last day before Thanksgiving break. 32 districts also release early on the last day of school. Each count is the number of districts with an early release that day.

Which Districts Have No Early Release Days 2026-27?

44 of the 179 districts we track (25%) list no early release days for 2026-27: 7 in Rhode Island, 6 in West Virginia, 5 in Arkansas, 4 in New Hampshire, 4 in New Mexico, 4 in North Dakota, 3 in Mississippi, 3 in Missouri, 3 in Nebraska, 2 in Iowa, 2 in Louisiana and 1 in Kansas. Their calendars still have full days with no students; those are counted on each district page.

Where Do These Early Release Days 2026-27 Counts Come From?

Every early release date here comes from the 2026-27 calendar each district published on its own website; the latest check was October 15, 2026. We count a weekday as an early release day when the calendar marks students leaving early that day, as an early release, early dismissal, early out or half day; a day the calendar marks with no students at all is a day off, not an early release. Dismissal times vary by school and are rarely on district calendars, so check your school's bell schedule for the exact time. One official calendar per state is linked below, and how we read every calendar is on the About page.

Springdale School District 2026-27 calendarArkansas
South Windsor Public Schools 2026-27 calendarConnecticut
North Scott Community School District 2026-27 calendarIowa
Olathe Public Schools 2026-27 calendarKansas
Jefferson Parish Schools 2026-27 calendarLouisiana
Jackson Public Schools 2026-27 calendarMississippi
Raytown Quality Schools 2026-27 calendarMissouri
Bennington Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNebraska
Salem School District 2026-27 calendarNew Hampshire
Carlsbad Municipal Schools 2026-27 calendarNew Mexico
Grand Forks Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNorth Dakota
Coventry Public Schools 2026-27 calendarRhode Island
Berkeley County Schools 2026-27 calendarWest Virginia

Early Release Days 2026-27: How Many Does Each District Have? FAQ

What is the point of early release days?: Usually teacher time. The 1,300 early release days we counted appear as 1,173 calendar entries (some entries cover several days);383 entries name professional development, staff or teacher work and 276 name parent-teacher conferences; many others carry no reason beyond the dismissal itself.
How many early release days are in a school year?: 4 days at the typical district we track for 2026-27, but the range runs from none (44 districts) to 40 at North Scott Community School District.
What day of the week is early release?: Most often Wednesday: 40% of the early release days we counted, ahead of Thursday (20%) and Friday (17%).
Is the day before Thanksgiving an early release day?: At 26 of the 179 districts we track, the last school day before Thanksgiving break is an early release; 21 release early on Wednesday, November 25, 2026. Many others close for the whole week.
Is the last day of school a half day?: At 32 of the 179 districts we track, the 2026-27 calendar marks the last day as an early release.