School District of Lancaster students will have two fewer days in school, but won’t have half-days each month in the 2026-2027 school year, per the calendar approved by the school board on April 21.
The major change from prior years is the elimination of monthly early dismissals, scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month, in which secondary students dismissed at noon followed by elementary students at 12:30.
The district identified these days as a hassle for families, citing attendance trends on early dismissal days. Nearly 600 students are absent on early dismissal days compared to the district average. Early dismissals tend to be among the worst-attended days of the year.
The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 18, 2026 for students in grades K-6 and McCaskey freshman, as well as seventh- and eighth-graders at ER Martin School. All other students return on August 19.
Barring snow days, the last day of school will be Friday, May 28, 2026.
The first day of school is the same date as the previous three years, but falls three weeks before Labor Day, which is September 7. Students will again have a four-day weekend around Labor Day.
Students will also enjoy a true “fall break” for the first time, with no school for students October 9-13. Teacher in-service days are scheduled for October 9 and 13, with offices open but students and teachers off on October 12.
Additional in-service days will be November 6, January 15, February 12, and April 9. Teachers have professional development for five days in August and a work day on June 1.
Fall family-teacher conferences will be held November 23-24. During conferences, teachers review student report cards and other academic and social development from the first marking period with families. Available hours for conferences will be 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 23 and 8:30 a.m. to noon on November 24. Students will not report those days, and schools will develop their own schedules during those times. Winter family-teacher conferences will be held February 4 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. and February 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Students will not report to school on February 5.
Thanksgiving break will be November 25-27. Students will be dismissed early on December 23, which will begin the school’s winter break, running through January 1. District offices will be open December 28-30. Spring break will be March 26-29.
The only snow make-up day in the school calendar will be March 25. Any additional inclement weather days can be scheduled as Flexible Instructional Days (FIDs), or made up by adding days after May 28.