North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: First Day of School

The North Dakota school year opens between August 20 and August 27. Bismarck Public Schools goes first; West Fargo Public Schools starts last, 7 days later. Half of the districts are back in class by August 20.

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

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Thanksgiving Break

None of the North Dakota school districts here take the whole week of Thanksgiving off (November 23–27); all 9 districts give two or three days around the holiday, so a full-week trip means pulling children out on the Monday and Tuesday.

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Winter Break

Winter break in North Dakota runs from 7 to 11 weekdays, with 10 the most common length. The longest is at Bismarck Public Schools (December 21, 2026 – January 4, 2027); the shortest is at West Fargo Public Schools (December 24, 2026 – January 1, 2027).

North Dakota 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 North Dakota school calendars before booking.

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Spring Break

7 districts in North Dakota 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.

2 districts have no full spring break week on the published calendar and instead spread single days off through March and April: Fargo Public Schools, West Fargo Public Schools.

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Last Day of School

The North Dakota school year ends between May 25 and May 27. Valley City Public Schools is first out for summer; Mandan Public Schools finishes last. Half of the districts are done by May 27.

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 North Dakota school calendars before you pay it.

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Fall and February Breaks

6 North Dakota school districts add a fall break of two or more weekdays, mostly in October. There is no multi-day February break on any of these calendars, so the stretch from January to spring break is the longest run of school.

Fall break examples: Bismarck Public Schools (October 22–23), Grand Forks Public Schools (October 22–23), Jamestown Public Schools (October 22–23), Mandan Public Schools (October 22–23).

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: District by District

Bismarck Public Schools: starts Aug 20, spring break Mar 26–Mar 29, last day May 26.

Dickinson Public Schools: starts Aug 20, spring break Mar 24–Mar 29, last day May 26.

Fargo Public Schools: starts Aug 26, last day May 27.

Grand Forks Public Schools: starts Aug 26, spring break Mar 22–Mar 29, last day May 27.

Jamestown Public Schools: starts Aug 20, spring break Mar 10–Mar 12, last day May 27.

Mandan Public Schools: starts Aug 26, spring break Mar 26–Mar 29, last day May 27.

Valley City Public Schools: starts Aug 20, spring break Mar 25–Mar 29, last day May 25.

West Fargo Public Schools: starts Aug 27, last day May 27.

Williston Basin School District 7: starts Aug 20, spring break Mar 8–Mar 12, last day May 26.

Planning Around the North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027

Summer camps open registration months before the North Dakota school year ends. With the last day falling as late as May 27 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 7 days apart, and break weeks rarely match exactly.

All North Dakota 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.

North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027: Days Off and Early Releases

Counting every weekday with no school between the first and last day, North Dakota school districts give a median of 26 days off. Jamestown Public Schools has the most (29) and Fargo Public Schools the fewest (20).

Early release and conference days vary even more: the median is 1, while Grand Forks Public Schools lists 22. These are the days working parents feel most, because pickup moves up without a full day off to plan around.

How the North Dakota School Calendars 2026-2027 Are Built

Every date on these North Dakota 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. Bismarck Public Schoolsbismarckschools.org
2. Dickinson Public Schoolsdickinson.k12.nd.us
3. Fargo Public Schoolsfargo.k12.nd.us
4. Grand Forks Public Schoolsgfschools.org
5. Jamestown Public Schoolsjamestown.k12.nd.us
6. Mandan Public Schoolsmandan.k12.nd.us
7. Valley City Public Schoolshiliners.org
8. West Fargo Public Schoolswest-fargo.k12.nd.us
9. Williston Basin School District 7willistonschools.org