Denver Public Schools Calendar 2026-27: Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break

Denver Public Schools (DPS) students have no classes from Monday, Nov. 23 to Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, from Monday, Dec. 21 to Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, and from Monday, March 29 to Friday, April 2, 2027, by the district’s “School Year Calendar 2026-27.” The district’s calendar marks the last day of school as Friday, June 4, 2027. The September and October days off have passed, so Thanksgiving week is the next break.

Many of these dates come from the colored grid of the district’s one-page PDF, not from printed text. Where the story says “the district’s calendar marks” a date, that is our reading of the grid.

When are the DPS breaks in 2026-27?

The calendar’s key separates “Holidays / No Classes” from “Vacation / No Classes.” Both mean no school, so the table counts them together. Weekdays off and return days are our count from the grid.

Break	No classes	Weekdays off	Students back in class
Thanksgiving break	Mon., Nov. 23 to Fri., Nov. 27, 2026	5	Mon., Nov. 30
Winter break	Mon., Dec. 21, 2026 to Fri., Jan. 1, 2027	10	Tue., Jan. 5, 2027
Spring break	Mon., March 29 to Fri., April 2, 2027	5	Mon., April 5

Counting the weekends on both sides, Thanksgiving week is 9 days away from class (Sat., Nov. 21 to Sun., Nov. 29), winter break 17 days with the Jan. 4 planning day (Sat., Dec. 19 to Mon., Jan. 4) and spring break 9 days (Sat., March 27 to Sun., April 4), our count. Plan the next one on the November 2026 calendar, and compare other districts in our winter break 2026 roundup.

What is the date trap on winter break return?

Winter break ends Friday, Jan. 1, but students do not return Monday, Jan. 4. The district’s calendar marks Jan. 4, 2027 as a planning and professional learning day. A DPS school page, the Swigert-McCandless Community of Excellence (SKCEE) “DPS School Calendar,” also lists “Monday, January 4” under non-student contact days. The first class day is Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027.

Is Cesar Chavez Day part of spring break?

Yes, this year. The holiday list reads “Cesar Chavez Day - March 31,” and March 31, 2027 is a Wednesday. The district’s calendar marks March 29-30 and April 1-2 as vacation, so the holiday sits in the middle of the week and adds no extra day off. Students are back Monday, April 5. For other districts’ spring weeks, see our spring break 2027 roundup.

Which DPS days are off for students?

The district’s holiday list gives eight dates. The weekdays and the planning days below are from the grid and the SKCEE page.

Date	Weekday	What the calendar lists
Aug. 17-21, 2026	Monday-Friday	Planning and professional learning days (past)
Sept. 7, 2026	Monday	Labor Day (past)
Oct. 30, 2026	Friday	Planning day (past)
Nov. 23-27, 2026	Monday-Friday	Thanksgiving break; Thanksgiving Day is Nov. 26
Dec. 21, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2027	Monday-Friday	Winter break; Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 are on the holiday list
Jan. 4, 2027	Monday	Planning day
Jan. 18, 2027	Monday	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Feb. 15, 2027	Monday	President’s Day, as the list prints it
Feb. 26, 2027	Friday	Planning day
March 29 to April 2, 2027	Monday-Friday	Spring break; Cesar Chavez Day is March 31
April 30, 2027	Friday	Planning day
May 31, 2027	Monday	Memorial Day

Juneteenth is on the list as “June 19 (observed June 18),” after the school year ends. The PDF also says: “The full list of Planning and Professional Learning Days will be available soon.” Treat the planning days as subject to change. A school notice from Valdez Elementary dated May 31, 2026 said “DPS will shift the professional learning day from Sept. 21 to Sept. 28,” and the SKCEE page lists Sept. 28. Both dates are past.

The calendar also marks Monday, Oct. 12 as a conference day. The key does not say conference days are no classes, so check your school.

When is the last day of school at DPS in 2027?

Friday, June 4, 2027. The key describes the last day as “First half of day, early release; second half of day, planning day.” So students leave at midday and the rest of the day is for staff. The district lists “174.5 Student Contact Days” and “186 Teacher Contact Days” for the year.

When did the 2026-27 school year start?

Teachers had planning days Aug. 17-21, 2026, by the district’s calendar. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade started Monday, Aug. 24, and Early Childhood Education (ECE) started Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Do all Denver schools use the same calendar?

Not always. SKCEE says on its own page that its school has extra planning days and different first and last days. Families at innovation and charter schools should check with their school. The free printable carries the district-wide dates, and you can add your school’s own on the printable school-year calendar.