On February 25th, the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) school board approved the calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. Initially for the 2026-2027 school year, LCPS developed and proposed four calendar options through the use of surveys from which calendar option 1 was chosen.
Here are some of the key dates in the 2026-2027 school year:
First day of school: August 17th, 2026
End of 1st Quarter: October 28th, 2026
Thanksgiving Break: November 25th – November 29th, 2026
Winter Break: December 18th, 2026 – January 4th, 2027
End of 2nd Quarter: January 22nd, 2027
Spring Break: March 20th – March 28th, 2027
End of 3rd Quarter: April 9th, 2027
Last day of school: June 11th, 2027
Quarter Length:
Quarter 1 – 49 days
Quarter 2 – 43 days
Quarter 3 – 45 days
Quarter 4 – 43 days
The 2026-2027 school year has a total of 180 school days. Instead of starting the school year off on a Thursday like the past couple of school years, it will start on a Monday, meaning the first week of school will be a full five days.
Regarding the other calendar options, option 2, school begins on August 4th and ends on May 28th for a total of 180 school days. For option 3, school begins on August 12th and ends on May 28th for a total of 176 school days. For option 4, school begins on August 13th and ends on May 28th for a total of 176 school days.
On the calendar survey, 39% of the respondents found it important to consider year-round school in the future. In the additional feedback, one concern was early start dates interfering with summer plans. Some suggested fewer school dates as well. But a general sentiment was the frustration due to frequent changes to school schedules.
Survey responses were separated into three groups: Family Survey, Staff Survey, and Advisory Committees Survey. With all the groups together and a grand total of 15,289 responses, option 4 was ranked first, option 1 second, option 3 third, option 2 last. When asked if year-round school should be considered, 39% responded yes, 49% chose no, and 12% had no preference.
For the 26-27 school year, teachers will have a total of 194 work days, containing 14 Professional Development Days (PD Days). Teachers will return to schools on August 10th, 2026, and the school year ends for them on June 15th, 2027.
You can view the 2026-27 calendar here and the calendar survey results here.
