Lincoln Public Schools Calendar 2026-2027
The Lincoln Public Schools Calendar for 2026-2027 runs August 12 to May 20. All the scattered days off, sorted by date and ready to sync to your phone.
- First / last day
- Break
- No school
- Early release
Lincoln Public Schools Calendar 2026-27 Key Dates
The Lincoln Public Schools school year runs about 40 weeks, from August 12 to May 20. These are the dates that decide flights, camp deposits and time off work, so they come first.
| Event | Date | Days off |
|---|---|---|
| First day of school | Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | |
| Fall Break | October 15–19 | 3 weekdays |
| Thanksgiving Break | November 25–30 | 4 weekdays |
| Winter Break | December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027 | 9 weekdays |
| Spring Break | March 8–12 | 5 weekdays |
| Last day of school | Thursday, May 20, 2027 |
The School Year by the Numbers
Counted straight from the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar dates: about 175 weekdays of school, 27 weekdays off and 0 early release or conference days between the first and last day.
| Measure | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Weeks from first to last day | 40 |
| Weekdays of school (approx.) | 175 |
| Weekdays off for students | 27 |
| Early release / conference days | 0 |
| Mondays and Fridays off outside breaks | 5 |
| Short weeks | 11 |
What Stands Out on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar
Compared with the other Nebraska districts on this site, using the same official calendars:
- School is in session on Election Day 2026 (November 3), while 1 of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover closes.
- School is in session on Veterans Day 2026 (November 11), while 1 of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover closes.
- Thanksgiving break 2026: 4 days; 1 of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover take the full week.
- 175 days in the school year by our count of the calendar; Nebraska districts we cover range from 164 to 179.
- Winter break 2026 of 9 weekdays, the shortest among the Nebraska districts we cover (they range from 9 to 12).
- No early release days, while 16 of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover have at least one.
First Day of School 2026
The first day of school on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. It is the date the last summer trip and the last camp week have to end by, and nonrefundable fares booked around a guessed date are the ones that hurt.
The district staggers the start by grade: First Day for K, 6th, & 9th Grades on Wed, Aug 12; All K-12 Students in Session on Thu, Aug 13. Check which group your child is in before you book the first week.
Because classes begin on a Wednesday, the opening week is only 3 days long. The first full week of school starts Monday, August 17.
Breaks on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar: Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring
Lincoln Public Schools builds 4 multi-day breaks into 2026-27. Each one comes with its full travel window, weekends included, so a five-weekday break shows up as the nine days you actually get.
Fall Break 2026: October 15–19
The Lincoln Public Schools Calendar gives 3 weekdays with no school; classes resume Tuesday, October 20. The travel window with weekends added runs Thu, Oct 15 – Mon, Oct 19, 5 days.
Thanksgiving Break 2026: November 25–30
The Lincoln Public Schools Calendar gives 4 weekdays with no school; classes resume Tuesday, December 1. The travel window with weekends added runs Wed, Nov 25 – Mon, Nov 30, 6 days.
Winter Break 2026: December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027
The Lincoln 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 8–12
The Lincoln Public Schools Calendar gives 5 weekdays with no school; classes resume Monday, March 15. The travel window with weekends added runs Sat, Mar 6 – Sun, Mar 14, 9 days.
Single Days Off and Short Weeks on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar
Outside the long breaks, students here have 6 single days off during the school year, and 11 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 12 and May 20.
3 of those single days are teacher workdays; they are listed in the teacher workday section further down.
4 Mondays and 1 Friday 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.
- All Schools Not in Session: Mon, Sep 7, Mon, Jan 18, Fri, Apr 30
| Weekday | Days off (outside long breaks) |
|---|---|
| Monday | 4 |
| Tuesday | 1 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Friday | 1 |
Long Weekends to Plan Around
Not every getaway needs a full break. Counting weekends, the year has 5 stretches of three or more days off outside the long breaks.
- Sat, Sep 5 – Tue, Sep 8 (4 days)
- Sat, Jan 16 – Mon, Jan 18 (3 days)
- Sat, Feb 13 – Mon, Feb 15 (3 days)
- Sat, Apr 3 – Mon, Apr 5 (3 days)
- Fri, Apr 30 – Sun, May 2 (3 days)
Teacher Workdays on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar
6 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.
- Schools Not in Session (Professional Learning/Planning Day): Tue, Sep 8, Mon, Oct 19, Mon, Nov 30, Mon, Jan 4, Mon, Feb 15, Mon, Apr 5
Last Day of School 2027 on the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar
The last day of school at Lincoln Public Schools is Thursday, May 20, 2027.
Since the year wraps up on a Thursday, the final week has 4 school days, and summer starts that Friday.
The first semester ends Tuesday, December 22, 2026, which splits the year into two halves for grading.
Grading periods as the calendar marks them: Grading period 1: August 12 – October 14 (about 9 weeks); Grading period 2: October 20 – December 22 (about 9 weeks); Grading period 3: January 5 – March 5 (about 8 weeks); Grading period 4: March 15 – May 20 (about 9 weeks). Report cards and conference weeks usually follow each end date.
Printable Lincoln Public Schools Calendar: Month by Month
The grids show the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar one month at a time. Below them, a count of weekdays off and early releases per month shows which months ask the most of working parents.
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.
- Quarter End Dates: Wed, Oct 14, Tue, Dec 22, Fri, Mar 5
- Quarter End Date: Thu, May 20
- Graduation - LHS: Fri, May 21
- Graduation - LNS, LNW, LSE, LNE: Sat, May 22
- Graduation - LSW, LSB, EHS: Sun, May 23
| Month | Weekdays off | Early releases |
|---|---|---|
| August | 0 | 0 |
| September | 2 | 0 |
| October | 3 | 0 |
| November | 4 | 0 |
| December | 7 | 0 |
| January | 3 | 0 |
| February | 1 | 0 |
| March | 5 | 0 |
| April | 2 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
How the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar Compares in Nebraska
Lincoln Public Schools opens after 1 other district in Nebraska and on the same day as 10. The earliest start in the state is Ralston Public Schools on August 11; the latest is Crete Public Schools on August 19.
6 other Nebraska districts on this site finish earlier, starting with North Platte Public Schools on May 14.
Winter break here is 9 weekdays, shorter than the 11-weekday break most Nebraska districts give.
1 other district shares the same spring break week, including Grand Island Public Schools. That matters if cousins or split households cross district lines.
Across the school year it gives 27 weekdays off; the typical Nebraska district here gives 29. Its calendar lists no early release or conference days at all, where the usual Nebraska district here has 7, so there are no scheduled early pickups to plan around.
Where the Lincoln Public Schools Calendar Dates Come From
We read the calendar Lincoln Public Schools posted on lps.org and copied each date as printed.
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 Lincoln Public Schools year sits next to your work meetings instead of in a file you have to dig up again.
Updated · official calendar file · lps.org
More Nebraska School Calendars
Comparing districts nearby? See every district side by side on the Nebraska 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.
Lincoln Public Schools Calendar FAQ
When does Lincoln Public Schools start in 2026?
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Some grades start later; see the first-day section above.
When is the last day of school for Lincoln Public Schools in 2027?
- The last day of school is Thursday, May 20, 2027.
When is Lincoln Public Schools spring break 2027?
- March 8–12, 5 weekdays off.
Does Lincoln Public Schools get the whole week of Thanksgiving off?
- No: Thanksgiving break runs November 25–30, 4 weekdays.
How long is Lincoln 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.
How many days off does Lincoln Public Schools have outside the breaks?
- 6 single days spread across the year, with 11 shortened weeks; each one is listed above by date.
Will snow days extend the Lincoln Public Schools school year?
- The published calendar does not list make-up days, so any added days would come from a later district announcement.