Columbia Public Schools Calendar 2026-2027
The Columbia Public Schools Calendar for 2026-2027 runs August 25 to May 27. Every break, stray day off and early release is below, one tap from your phone.
- First / last day
- Break
- No school
- Early release
Columbia Public Schools Calendar 2026-27 Key Dates
Here is the Columbia Public Schools Calendar at a glance: roughly 39 weeks from the first bell on August 25 to May 27. Every family in the district books the same break weeks, so these are the dates to lock in before prices climb.
| Event | Date | Days off |
|---|---|---|
| First day of school | Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | |
| Thanksgiving Break | November 25–27 | 3 weekdays |
| Winter Break | December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027 | 9 weekdays |
| Spring Break | March 29 – April 2 | 5 weekdays |
| Last day of school | Thursday, May 27, 2027 |
The School Year by the Numbers
Add up the dates on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar and the 2026-27 year comes to roughly 171 weekdays in class against 27 weekdays off, with 2 shortened days on top.
| Measure | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Weeks from first to last day | 39 |
| Weekdays of school (approx.) | 171 |
| Weekdays off for students | 27 |
| Early release / conference days | 2 |
| Mondays and Fridays off outside breaks | 9 |
| Short weeks | 12 |
What Stands Out on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar
Compared with the other Missouri districts on this site, using the same official calendars:
- No school on Election Day 2026 (November 3), one of 12 of the 18 Missouri districts we cover that close.
- School is in session on Veterans Day 2026 (November 11), while 1 of the 18 Missouri districts we cover closes.
- Thanksgiving break 2026: 3 days; 6 of the 18 Missouri districts we cover take the full week.
- 171 days in the school year by our count of the calendar; Missouri districts we cover range from 169 to 173.
- 2 early release days; the Missouri districts we cover range from 0 to 39.
First Day of School 2026
The first day of school on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar is Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Teachers report earlier, starting August 17. Summer ends here for every family in the district at once, so the trip home and the final week of camp both have to fit before it.
Because classes begin on a Tuesday, the opening week is only 4 days long. The first full week of school starts Monday, August 31.
Breaks on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar: Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring
Long breaks are where travel and childcare costs pile up, so here they are with exact weekday counts. A five-weekday break here means nine days in a row without school once you add the weekends, and every family on this calendar is shopping for the same nine days.
Thanksgiving Break 2026: November 25–27
The Columbia Public Schools Calendar gives 3 weekdays with no school; classes resume Monday, November 30. The travel window with weekends added runs Wed, Nov 25 – Sun, Nov 29, 5 days.
Winter Break 2026: December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027
The Columbia Public Schools Calendar gives 9 weekdays with no school; classes resume Tuesday, January 5. The travel window with weekends added runs Wed, Dec 23 – Mon, Jan 4, 13 days.
Spring Break 2027: March 29 – April 2
The Columbia Public Schools Calendar gives 5 weekdays with no school; classes resume Monday, April 5. The travel window with weekends added runs Sat, Mar 27 – Sun, Apr 4, 9 days.
Single Days Off and Short Weeks on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar
Outside the long breaks, students here have 10 single days off during the school year, and 12 weeks are shortened, either by one of those days or by part of a longer break. In total that is 27 weekdays with no school between August 25 and May 27.
6 of those single days are teacher workdays; they are listed in the teacher workday section further down.
4 Mondays and 5 Fridays are off outside the breaks, which turns them into long weekends. The other one lands mid-week, which is when parents most often need a sitter or a day of leave.
- Labor Day: Mon, Sep 7
- No School: Tue, Nov 3
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Mon, Jan 18
- Teacher Paid Holiday: Mon, Feb 15
| Weekday | Days off (outside long breaks) |
|---|---|
| Monday | 4 |
| Tuesday | 1 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Friday | 5 |
Long Weekends to Plan Around
Beyond the main breaks, the Columbia Public Schools Calendar sets up 7 long weekends of three days or more. These are the easiest short trips of the year because no school days are missed.
- Sat, Sep 5 – Mon, Sep 7 (3 days)
- Fri, Oct 16 – Sun, Oct 18 (3 days)
- Fri, Oct 30 – Tue, Nov 3 (5 days)
- Sat, Jan 16 – Mon, Jan 18 (3 days)
- Fri, Feb 12 – Mon, Feb 15 (4 days)
- Fri, Feb 26 – Sun, Feb 28 (3 days)
- Fri, Apr 30 – Sun, May 2 (3 days)
Teacher Workdays on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar
7 days during the school year are set aside for teacher training or planning with no students in class. Buildings are open for staff but not for children, so plan care for these the same way you would a holiday.
- Teacher Collaboration Day-No School: Fri, Oct 16, Fri, Oct 30, Mon, Nov 2, Mon, Jan 4, Fri, Feb 12, Fri, Feb 26, Fri, Apr 30
Early Release Days on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar
Columbia Public Schools has 2 early release or conference days on the 2026-27 calendar, both on a Wednesday. Pickup moves earlier on these days, so after-school care has to start sooner.
- Early Release: Wed, Sep 30, Wed, Mar 17
Last Day of School 2027 on the Columbia Public Schools Calendar
The last day of school at Columbia Public Schools is Thursday, May 27, 2027.
Since the year wraps up on a Thursday, the final week has 4 school days, and summer starts that Friday.
Printable Columbia Public Schools Calendar: Month by Month
Each month of the Columbia Public Schools Calendar is drawn below, with days off, breaks and early releases colored in. The table counts the weekdays with no school and the early release days per month, which is the quickest way to see when you will need extra childcare.
December is the busiest month, with 7 weekdays off, so it is the one to line up cover for first.
How to read the grids: green marks the first and last day, blue squares are multi-day breaks, red squares are single days with no school, and amber squares are early release or conference days. Plain squares are regular school days; faded ones fall outside the school year.
- Douglass High School AM: Fri, May 21
- Hickman High School AM: Sat, May 22
| Month | Weekdays off | Early releases |
|---|---|---|
| July | 0 | 0 |
| August | 0 | 0 |
| September | 1 | 1 |
| October | 2 | 0 |
| November | 5 | 0 |
| December | 7 | 0 |
| January | 3 | 0 |
| February | 3 | 0 |
| March | 3 | 1 |
| April | 3 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| June | 0 | 0 |
How the Columbia Public Schools Calendar Compares in Missouri
Columbia Public Schools opens after 8 other districts in Missouri and on the same day as 8. The earliest start in the state is Francis Howell School District on August 24; the latest is Lee's Summit R-7 School District on August 26.
4 other Missouri districts on this site finish earlier, starting with Jefferson City Public Schools on May 20.
Winter break here is 9 weekdays, shorter than the 10-weekday break most Missouri districts give.
2 other districts share the same spring break week, including North Kansas City Schools, Park Hill School District. That matters if cousins or split households cross district lines.
Across the school year it gives 27 weekdays off; the typical Missouri district here gives 29. It has 2 early release or conference days, fewer than the usual 5.
Where the Columbia Public Schools Calendar Dates Come From
We read the calendar Columbia Public Schools posted on cpsk12.org and copied each date as printed. The version used here was approved by the school board on April 13, 2026.
The link below opens the district’s own file, so any date here can be confirmed in one click. Add the calendar file to your phone once and the whole Columbia Public Schools year sits next to your work meetings instead of in a file you have to dig up again.
Updated · official calendar file · cpsk12.org
More Missouri School Calendars
Comparing districts nearby? See every district side by side on the Missouri School Calendars 2026-2027 page. Planning a trip? Compare spring break 2027 dates across every district we track, or see how long Thanksgiving break is in each state.
Columbia Public Schools Calendar FAQ
When does Columbia Public Schools start in 2026?
- Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Summer trips and camps need to wrap up before then.
When is the last day of school for Columbia Public Schools in 2027?
- The last day of school is Thursday, May 27, 2027.
When is Columbia Public Schools spring break 2027?
- March 29 – April 2, 5 weekdays off.
Does Columbia Public Schools get the whole week of Thanksgiving off?
- No: Thanksgiving break runs November 25–27, 3 weekdays.
How long is Columbia Public Schools winter break?
- December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027: 9 weekdays off. Counting the weekends around it, that is 13 days in a row without school, Wed, Dec 23 – Mon, Jan 4.
When are Columbia Public Schools early release days?
- Wednesday, September 30 and Wednesday, March 17. Pickup moves earlier on each of them, so line up after-school care now.
How many days off does Columbia Public Schools have outside the breaks?
- 10 single days spread across the year, with 12 shortened weeks; each one is listed above by date.
Will snow days extend the Columbia Public Schools school year?
- The published calendar does not list make-up days, so any added days would come from a later district announcement.