Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: First Day of School

The Iowa school year opens between August 24 and August 26. Iowa City Community School District goes first; Ottumwa Community School District starts last, 2 days later. Half of the districts are back in class by August 24.

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

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: Thanksgiving Break

None of the Iowa school districts here take the whole week of Thanksgiving off (November 23–27); all 11 districts give two or three days around the holiday, so a full-week trip means pulling children out on the Monday and Tuesday.

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: Winter Break

Winter break in Iowa runs from 8 to 11 weekdays, with 10 the most common length. The longest is at Council Bluffs Community School District (December 21, 2026 – January 4, 2027); the shortest is at Waukee Community School District (December 23, 2026 – January 1, 2027).

Iowa 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 Iowa school calendars before booking.

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: Spring Break

11 districts in Iowa 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.

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: Last Day of School

The Iowa school year ends between May 21 and June 4. Waterloo Community Schools is first out for summer; Iowa City Community School District finishes last. Half of the districts are done by May 28.

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 Iowa school calendars before you pay it.

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: Fall and February Breaks

1 Iowa school district adds a fall break of two or more weekdays, mostly in October. 1 district also takes a February break of two or more weekdays, usually around Presidents’ Day.

Fall break examples: Ankeny Community School District (October 9–12).

Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027: District by District

Ankeny Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 12–Mar 19, last day May 28.

Cedar Rapids Community School District: starts Aug 25, spring break Mar 15–Mar 19, last day May 28.

Council Bluffs Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 22–Mar 26, last day May 27.

Iowa City Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 15–Mar 19, last day Jun 4.

Johnston Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 12–Mar 19, last day May 28.

North Scott Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 15–Mar 19, last day Jun 3.

Norwalk Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 11–Mar 19, last day May 28.

Ottumwa Community School District: starts Aug 26, spring break Mar 12–Mar 19, last day May 27.

Sioux City Community Schools: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 25–Mar 30, last day May 26.

Waterloo Community Schools: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 15–Mar 19, last day May 21.

Waukee Community School District: starts Aug 24, spring break Mar 15–Mar 19, last day May 28.

Planning Around the Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027

Summer camps open registration months before the Iowa school year ends. With the last day falling as late as June 4 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. The first and last opening days here are 2 days apart, and break weeks rarely match exactly.

All Iowa 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.

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

Counting every weekday with no school between the first and last day, Iowa school districts give a median of 26 days off. Johnston Community School District has the most (33) and Sioux City Community Schools the fewest (22).

Early release and conference days vary even more: the median is 29, while North Scott Community School District lists 40. These are the days working parents feel most, because pickup moves up without a full day off to plan around.

How the Iowa School Calendars 2026-2027 Are Built

Every date on these Iowa 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.

The official calendars behind this page:

1. Ankeny Community School Districtankenyschools.org
2. Cedar Rapids Community School Districtcrschools.us
3. Council Bluffs Community School Districtcb-schools.org
4. Iowa City Community School Districtiowacityschools.org
5. Johnston Community School Districtjohnstoncsd.org
6. North Scott Community School Districtnorth-scott.k12.ia.us
7. Norwalk Community School Districtnorwalkschools.org
8. Ottumwa Community School Districtottumwaschools.com
9. Sioux City Community Schoolssiouxcityschools.org
10. Waterloo Community Schoolswaterlooschools.org
11. Waukee Community School Districtwaukeeschools.org