Updated July 24 at 2:45 p.m. The first day of school in Conroe ISD is Aug. 16, which is now less than one month away. Although students in Texas may not start school before the fourth Monday in August, as a District of Innovation, CISD gained the authority to set an earlier start date. Be sure to look over the approved calendar for the 2017-18 school year: Aug. 8-14: Staff development days Aug. 15: Staff workday Aug. 16: First day of school Sept. 4: Labor Day Oct. 6: Early release Oct. 9: Staff/student holiday Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving break Dec. 20: Early release Dec. 21-Jan. 8: Winter break Jan. 8: Staff workday Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Feb. 19: Staff development day/President’s Day March 9: Early release March 12-16: Spring break March 30: Staff/student holiday May 28: Memorial Day May 31: Early release/Last day of school June 1: Staff workday June 2: Inclement weather day With the new school calendar and an early start date, CISD students will have 84 school days in the first semester and 94 school days in the second semester, with a total of 178 school days. CISD is on a quarterly grading system. During the first semester, the first grading period will end Oct. 6, and the second grading period will end Dec. 20. During the second semester, the first grading period will end March 9—when spring break begins—and the second grading period will end May 31. After unanimously voting in December to become a District of Innovation—a new program approved during the 2015 state legislative session that grants school districts more flexibility and local control on certain state statutes—CISD officials gained control over the school calendar.