District staff proposed the start and end dates for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years at the Jan. 23 board of trustees meeting.
The details
The proposed start dates for both calendars are Aug. 11, with the 2025-26 year ending on May 21, 2026 and the 2026-27 year ending on May 26, 2027, according to the board presentation. Both school years end before the Memorial Day holiday.
The proposed calendars have fall breaks from Friday to Monday, with a full week off for Thanksgiving and spring break both years. Winter breaks are two weeks starting on a Friday and ending on a Thursday.
How it happened
The district launched a survey Nov. 15-Dec. 18 to gain feedback on the two calendar options, receiving 12,011 responses from the 47,473 invitations sent, Chief Communications Officer Sonya Cole-Hamilton said.
Option 1 mirrors the 2024-25 school year calendar, garnering support from 79% of respondents for 2025-26 and 80% of respondents for 2026-27, Cole-Hamilton said. Respondents who chose the first option said the earlier start dates and fewer non-consecutive days off benefits both students and staff.
“People appreciated that Thanksgiving break was a week long,” Cole-Hamilton said.
The 21% who chose Option 2 preferred the calendar's alignment with Katy ISD and corporate calendars, Cole-Hamilton said.
Next steps
Once the board votes on the approved calendar at the Feb. 16 meeting, the district will publicize the calendars, Cole-Hamilton said.
Next year, the board will approve the 2027-28 calendar to stay “a year ahead” for families who plan their vacations in advance, Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens said.
