The CPS Public Schools calendar for 2025-2026 serves as the essential planning resource for thousands of Chicago families, educators, and district staff members.
This comprehensive school district calendar encompasses 176 mandatory instructional days, ensuring full compliance with Illinois state educational requirements while providing structured learning experiences for over 340,000 students across the nation’s third-largest school system.
Families relying on the official CPS district calendar can effectively coordinate childcare arrangements, plan family vacations around designated break periods, track critical enrollment deadlines, and prepare for important academic milestones including graduation ceremonies.
Whether accessing the downloadable CPS family calendar PDF in multiple languages or utilizing the mobile-responsive calendar application, parents gain instant access to essential scheduling information including first and last days of classes, extended holiday breaks, professional development sessions, and emergency makeup day provisions.
The meticulously planned Chicago schools calendar provides transparent communication regarding winter recess periods, spring break schedules, Thanksgiving week closures, and summer bridge program opportunities, creating a reliable academic roadmap for the entire school year.
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CPS Public Schools First Day and Last Day of School Schedule
Chicago Public Schools officially commences the 2025-2026 academic year on Monday, August 18, 2025, marking the return date for all kindergarten through 12th-grade students across the district. Pre-kindergarten programs initiate instruction one day later on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at designated early childhood education centers throughout the city.
The comprehensive CPS school year schedule for 2025-2026 guarantees exactly 176 instructional days, culminating with the final day of classes on Friday, June 4, 2026.
This carefully calculated timeline allows sufficient time for summer bridge programs, remedial instruction sessions, and enrichment activities to begin by mid-June, maximizing educational continuity for students requiring additional academic support.
When families ask “When does CPS start school in 2025?” the answer remains consistent: Monday, August 18th provides the official start date, enabling parents to finalize summer camp arrangements, schedule back-to-school shopping, and coordinate transportation plans well in advance.
The academic calendar incorporates strategic early-release days following a predictable monthly pattern, typically occurring on the final Wednesday of each month through April. Additional half-day schedules are implemented immediately before winter break and during spring parent-teacher conference periods, providing flexibility for family scheduling needs.
Both English and Spanish versions of the CPS district calendar PDF format remain readily available through the official district website, while families can subscribe to automated Google Calendar feeds or Apple iCal integration for real-time schedule updates and emergency notifications.
Major Holiday Breaks and School Closures
Chicago Public Schools observes three significant holiday break periods throughout the 2025-2026 academic year, strategically positioned to align with traditional family travel seasons and cultural celebrations.
The Thanksgiving week closure extends from Monday, November 24, 2025, through Friday, November 28, 2025, providing families with a full five-day weekend for holiday gatherings, travel arrangements, and community celebrations.
This extended break allows adequate time for out-of-state family visits while ensuring students return refreshed for the final academic push before winter recess.
Winter break represents the longest continuous closure period, spanning Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026, offering students and staff two complete weeks of rest and recreation.
This extended winter recess period accommodates diverse religious observances including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year celebrations while providing flexibility for alternative instruction implementation should severe weather conditions disrupt normal school operations during the coldest months.
CPS Spring break 2026 occurs during Monday, March 23, 2026, through Friday, March 27, 2026, strategically timed to coincide with many colleges’ spring break schedules, facilitating family coordination for households with students at multiple educational levels.
These official CPS holiday and break dates appear prominently on the district calendar, enabling families to book travel accommodations, arrange childcare coverage, and coordinate with extended family members months in advance.
Some individual schools may schedule additional half-day sessions immediately preceding Thanksgiving break and during spring parent-teacher conference weeks, with specific details varying by campus and grade level configuration.
Emergency makeup day protocols remain in effect for weather-related closures, ensuring preservation of required instructional hours according to district policy guidelines documented in both English and Spanish calendar versions.
Professional Development and In-Service Training Days
Chicago Public Schools allocates 12 dedicated professional development and in-service training days throughout the 2025-2026 academic calendar, distributed strategically to maximize instructional continuity while ensuring educators receive essential training opportunities.
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) contract specifies that six sessions remain teacher-directed, focusing on collaborative curriculum development, assessment strategy refinement, and equity-focused pedagogical workshops.
The remaining six professional development days operate under principal direction, allowing individual school leadership teams to address site-specific instructional needs, implement targeted family engagement initiatives, and coordinate community partnership programs tailored to their unique student populations.
These CPS professional development days for 2025-26 ensure teaching staff maintain current knowledge of educational best practices, technology integration strategies, and state assessment requirements while supporting improved student academic outcomes across all grade levels.
Families frequently ask “When are CPS teacher in-service days?” and can find comprehensive answers by consulting the official CPS district calendar or downloading the mobile application for push notification alerts.
Individual schools communicate specific half-day schedule modifications for parent-teacher conferences, data analysis sessions, and collaborative planning meetings through newsletters, robocalls, and digital communication platforms.
The CPS family calendar PDF download clearly identifies each professional development session with distinctive icons and color coding, enabling parents to arrange alternative childcare or flexible work schedules well in advance.
This systematic approach to educator training maintains high instructional quality standards without extending daily classroom hours or reducing student contact time.
Graduation Ceremonies and Senior Recognition Events
High school graduation ceremonies following the CPS graduation schedule for May 2026 commence no earlier than Friday, May 21, 2026, with individual schools selecting specific dates and venues that accommodate their graduating class sizes and community traditions.
Many Chicago high schools reserve weekend time slots for larger graduation celebrations, allowing extended family members and community supporters to attend these milestone events.
Elementary school recognition ceremonies and eighth-grade promotion events typically begin around Friday, May 29, 2026, celebrating student advancement to high school and acknowledging academic achievements across various grade levels.
These important dates appear prominently in the Chicago schools calendar and are comprehensively documented in the CPS district calendar PDF download, though families should verify exact ceremony times, locations, and ticketing requirements through individual school communications, official newsletters, and mobile application notifications.
When families inquire “When is CPS graduation 2026?” they should consult both the district-wide CPS Public Schools Calendar 2025-2026 and their specific school’s administrative announcements for precise ceremony details, parking arrangements, and guest limitations.
Senior-related activities follow a standardized timeline designed to ensure smooth coordination across all district high schools. Cap and gown ordering deadlines typically fall on Tuesday, April 15, 2026, while graduation rehearsal sessions occur during the designated graduation week.
Many schools complement formal ceremonies with senior picnics, yearbook signing celebrations, community service recognition events, and college commitment announcements throughout May, creating memorable experiences for graduating students and their families.
Registration and Enrollment Deadlines
Chicago Public Schools initiates the registration process for the 2025-26 academic year on Sunday, January 5, 2025, providing families with ample time to complete application requirements and gather necessary documentation.
New student enrollment applications must be submitted by Friday, February 28, 2025, ensuring adequate time for processing and school assignment coordination.
Students seeking transfers between CPS schools face a deadline of Saturday, March 15, 2025, for submitting transfer request documentation, while current students must complete re-enrollment procedures between Friday, November 1, 2024, and Sunday, December 15, 2024, to guarantee placement continuation for the following academic year.
These critical CPS enrollment deadlines for 2025-26 receive prominent placement in the CPS district calendar and mobile application notification system, helping families avoid last-minute application rushes and potential placement complications.
Parents wondering “Where can I download the CPS calendar?” can access the comprehensive CPS family calendar PDF download through the district website’s Family Resources section, which includes detailed enrollment instructions, required documentation checklists, and step-by-step application guidance in multiple languages.
Late applications may enter lottery systems or waitlist processes depending on individual school capacity and program availability.
Families should carefully review eligibility requirements, residency verification procedures, and mandatory immunization documentation before approaching deadline dates to avoid processing delays.
Specialized programs including International Baccalaureate (IB), dual-language immersion, and selective enrollment high schools maintain separate application timelines and requirements, necessitating consultation with specific school sections within the Chicago schools calendar for program-specific deadline information and admission criteria.
Emergency Makeup Days and Summer Bridge Programs
Chicago Public Schools incorporates two designated makeup days at the conclusion of the CPS Public Schools 2025-2026 academic calendar, specifically reserved for instructional time lost due to severe weather emergencies, facility issues, or other unforeseen circumstances requiring school closures.
When these emergency makeup days remain unused, district policy allows conversion to additional student holidays or supplemental staff planning sessions, ensuring the CPS makeup day policy protects required instructional hours while maintaining flexibility for year-end activities.
This comprehensive emergency planning approach appears clearly documented in the district calendar PDF download, providing families with transparent information about potential schedule extensions and makeup day implementation procedures.
Following the final instructional day in early June, CPS summer bridge programs commence on Monday, June 7, 2026, offering intensive academic support in literacy, mathematics, and core subject areas for students identified through teacher recommendations or standardized assessment results indicating need for additional instruction.
Summer bridge program eligibility, registration procedures, and campus locations receive detailed coverage in the CPS family calendar PDF download, enabling families to plan summer schedules and transportation arrangements while ensuring students receive necessary academic support during the break period.
How to Access and Utilize the CPS Calendar
Families can access the comprehensive CPS Public Schools Calendar 2025-2026 through the CPS district website’s Family Resources section, which provides both English and Spanish PDF downloads for offline reference and printing convenience.
Digital calendar integration options include subscribing to the CPS district calendar through Google Calendar or Apple iCal applications by utilizing the mobile app’s calendar synchronization features.
The official CPS mobile application delivers push notifications for schedule updates, emergency makeup day announcements, and holiday schedule modifications, ensuring families receive timely information about calendar changes.
To subscribe to CPS calendar alerts and automated notifications, users should download the mobile application, navigate to settings preferences, and enable calendar synchronization features.
These integration steps guarantee continuous access to the CPS school year schedule 2025-2026 information and prevent missed notifications about critical dates including first day attendance, professional development schedules, and graduation ceremony announcements.
FAQs About CPS Public Schools Calendar 2025-2026
When does CPS start school in 2025?
The 2025-2026 CPS academic year begins on Monday, August 18, 2025, for all kindergarten through 12th-grade students throughout the district. Pre-kindergarten programs initiate instruction on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at selected early childhood centers.
Families can consult the CPS district calendar PDF download or mobile calendar application for any schedule updates or site-specific variations.
What is CPS’s last day of school in 2026?
Most Chicago Public Schools conclude instruction on Friday, June 4, 2026, completing the required 176 instructional days mandated by Illinois state law. Some individual schools may implement half-day schedules and early release protocols during the final week; families should verify site-specific closure arrangements through school communications.
When is CPS winter break 2025?
Winter recess extends from Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026, providing students and families with two complete weeks for holiday celebrations and travel. Alternative instruction plans may activate if severe weather conditions disrupt normal operations around this extended break period.
What are CPS spring break dates for 2026?
CPS Spring break occurs during Monday, March 23, 2026, through Friday, March 27, 2026, strategically scheduled to align with many college spring break periods. Families often plan vacation travel and enrichment camps during this week; individual schools may host special events requiring calendar verification.
How many instructional days does CPS provide?
The CPS Public Schools Calendar 2025-2026 incorporates exactly 176 instructional days to exceed Illinois state requirements and support balanced academic pacing across quarterly grading periods. This instructional day count ensures comprehensive curriculum coverage while maintaining adequate time for assessment and remediation activities.
When are CPS teacher in-service days scheduled?
The CPS academic calendar includes 12 professional development days distributed throughout the year: six teacher-directed sessions focusing on curriculum and pedagogy, plus six principal-directed days addressing site-specific needs. This scheduling provides consistent educator training without extending daily classroom instruction hours.
Where can families download the CPS calendar?
Official PDF family calendars in English, Spanish, and additional languages are available through the CPS website’s Family Resources calendar section. Families can subscribe to automated updates via the mobile application or integrate with Google Calendar and iCal systems for real-time notifications about schedule changes.
What happens during CPS makeup days?
Designated makeup days remain reserved for replacing instructional time lost to inclement weather or emergency closures. When unused, these days convert to student holidays or staff planning sessions according to district policy, ensuring mandated instructional hours are preserved throughout the academic year.
Plan Your Year with the CPS 2025-2026 Calendar
Bookmark the official CPS Public Schools Calendar 2025-2026 to ensure seamless coordination for families, students, and educational staff throughout the academic year. Download the comprehensive CPS family calendar PDF and subscribe to district calendar notifications through Google Calendar, Apple iCal, or the mobile application to receive real-time updates about first and last day schedules, holiday break periods, professional development sessions, and graduation ceremony announcements.
Utilize the CPS mobile application’s push notification system for immediate alerts about schedule modifications, emergency makeup day implementations, and weather-related closure decisions. Share calendar access with caregivers, babysitters, and community support networks to coordinate transportation arrangements and childcare coverage during school breaks and professional development days.
Stay ahead of critical CPS enrollment deadlines for 2025-26 by reviewing registration dates early in the school year and preparing required documentation well before submission deadlines. Plan your family’s 2025-26 academic year with confidence by leveraging these comprehensive calendar resources and avoiding last-minute scheduling surprises that could disrupt your educational planning.
