Howard County Public Schools Calendar 2026-2027
Key 2026-2027 student dates for Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) in Maryland, taken from the district’s official calendar. We list only dates we matched to that calendar, so staff-only days and single-day holidays are left to the official file.
Howard County Public Schools key dates 2026-2027
| First day of school | Monday, Aug 24, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving break | Wednesday, Nov 25, 2026 – Friday, Nov 27, 2026 |
| Winter break | Thursday, Dec 24, 2026 – Friday, Jan 1, 2027 |
| Students return after winter break | Monday, Jan 4, 2027 |
| Spring break | Monday, Mar 22, 2027 – Monday, Mar 29, 2027 |
| Last day of school | Tuesday, Jun 8, 2027 |
Checked on . Version: 2026-2027 school year key dates.
Source file: datesonly202627.pdf
Scope: Howard County Public School System calendar, not all Maryland districts. This is an independent reference, not a district-operated website.
Page content updated: . Source check dates are listed with the dates above.
Planning at a glance
- Winter break spans 7 weekdays (Monday–Friday) from Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. The first day back is Monday, Jan 4, 2027.
- Spring break spans 6 weekdays. 20 of the other 71 district calendars we track also start spring break on Mar 22, 2027; see the spring break 2027 comparison.
- Thanksgiving break spans 3 weekdays; compare with other districts on the Thanksgiving break 2026 page.
- Weekday counts are calendar arithmetic over the listed ranges, not a count of instructional days.
Howard County Public Schools 2026-2027 calendar, August to June
Only the verified dates above are marked. Unmarked weekdays are not necessarily school days; check the official calendar for single-day holidays and staff days.
- First day of school
- Thanksgiving break
- Winter break
- Students return after winter break
- Spring break
- Last day of school
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24, First day of school | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25, Thanksgiving break | 26, Thanksgiving break | 27, Thanksgiving break | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24, Winter break | 25, Winter break | 26, Winter break |
| 27, Winter break | 28, Winter break | 29, Winter break | 30, Winter break | 31, Winter break |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Winter break | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4, Students return after winter break | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22, Spring break | 23, Spring break | 24, Spring break | 25, Spring break | 26, Spring break | 27, Spring break |
| 28, Spring break | 29, Spring break | 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8, Last day of school | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Add Howard County Public Schools dates to your calendar
The .ics file holds 6 all-day events, exactly the dates listed above, each linked to the official source. Open it on your phone or import it into Google Calendar (Settings › Import), Apple Calendar or Outlook.
- Howard County Public Schools: First day of school — Aug 24, 2026
- Howard County Public Schools: Thanksgiving break — Nov 25, 2026 – Nov 27, 2026
- Howard County Public Schools: Winter break — Dec 24, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
- Howard County Public Schools: Students return after winter break — Jan 4, 2027
- Howard County Public Schools: Spring break — Mar 22, 2027 – Mar 29, 2027
- Howard County Public Schools: Last day of school — Jun 8, 2027
Imported events do not update automatically; if the district revises its calendar, download the file again.
Notes from the official calendar
- Calendar scope: Howard County Public School System calendar, not all Maryland districts.
- First day: Pre-K and RECC students start August 27.
- June 8 is the last day if no inclement-weather days are used; June 9–16 may be used as make-up days. Spring break runs through Monday, March 29; students return March 30. June 7–8 are 3-hour early closings.
- Schools are closed December 24 through January 1.
- November 25 is closed for students for parent-teacher conferences; schools close 3 hours early November 23–24.
Other verified Maryland district calendars
Neighboring districts often differ by a week or more; each row applies only to the named district.
| District | First day | Spring break |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Aug 25, 2026 | Mar 26, 2027 – Apr 2, 2027 |
| Prince George's County Public Schools | Aug 25, 2026 | Mar 30, 2027 – Apr 2, 2027 |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | Aug 31, 2026 | Mar 22, 2027 – Mar 29, 2027 |
Howard County Public Schools calendar questions
When is the first day of school for Howard County Public Schools in 2026-2027?
The first day of school is Monday, Aug 24, 2026, and the scheduled last day is Tuesday, Jun 8, 2027, according to the official Howard County Public School System calendar. Pre-K and RECC students start August 27.
When is Howard County Public Schools spring break 2027?
Spring break is Mar 22, 2027 – Mar 29, 2027. Confirm any school-specific changes on the official calendar before booking travel.
When is Howard County Public Schools winter break 2026-2027?
Winter break is Dec 24, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027. Students return Monday, Jan 4, 2027.
Is there school the week of Thanksgiving 2026 in Howard County Public Schools?
The official Howard County Public School System calendar shows Thanksgiving break as Nov 25, 2026 – Nov 27, 2026. See the notes on this page for any make-up-day conditions.
Do these dates apply to every school in Maryland?
No. They apply only to Howard County Public School System. Other Maryland districts set their own calendars, and individual schools or programs inside Howard County Public Schools can have their own schedules.