Chicago Board of Education finalizes 2025-26 school calendar

By 
Becky Vevea
 | May 30, 2025, 1:58am UTC
The Chicago Board of Education approved the 2025-26 school calendar. (Becky Vevea, Chalkbeat)

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Chicago Public Schools’ first day of classes for the 2025-26 academic year is Aug. 18 and the last day will be June 4, 2026.

Those dates represent a return to a schedule more similar to previous years after officials shifted the calendar to accommodate last year’s Democratic National Convention.

The 2025-26 calendar maintains a weeklong break at Thanksgiving, a two-week winter recess, and a spring break the last week of March.

The Chicago Board of Education approved the 2025-26 calendar last year, but needed to change it after reaching a contract agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union. The new contract increased the number of teacher-led professional development days from three to six and the number of principal-directed ones from nine to six.

Elementary school report card pickup will be March 18, the same day as high schools. Students will still be off on March 17, 2026, which is primary election day in Illinois. Schools often serve as polling locations. Teachers will still have professional development on March 17. Students will be off April 3, while teachers have a professional development day.

Pre-K programs will start one day later and one day earlier than classes for other students. The first day for the littlest learners will be Tuesday, Aug. 19 and the last day will be Wednesday, June 3.

Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.

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