FORT LAUDERDALE – The Broward County School Board on Tuesday approved the 2025-26 calendar, which includes the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 11 and a day off to celebrate a Hindu holiday.
The last day of school is Wednesday, June 3.
For the first time, this includes closing schools on Oct. 20 for Diwali, a Hindi festival of lights celebrated by a billion people around the world that commemorates the triumph of good over evil.
To accommodate the extra holiday, the length of day for middle school students would extend from six hours and 30 minutes to six hours and 40 minutes. The length of day for high school and elementary school students would remain the same.
The school district also has an off day for Muslims’ Eid al-Fitr on April 6 and Jews’ Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 23 and Yom Kippur on Oct. 2.
Like this year, the approved calendar include a week-long Thanksgiving break (Monday Nov. 24 to Friday Nov. 28), two weeks for winter breaks (Monday Dec. 22 to Friday Jan. 2) and one week for spring break (Monday, March 16 to Friday March 20).
Also there are provisions for up to five severe weather makeup days are included. The current calendar calendar was adjusted to make up for three days lost to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The calendar also identifies teacher planning days, days designated for report cards, early release.
“We are excited to share the 2025/26 school calendar with our families and community,” BCPS Superintendent Howard Hepburn said “We appreciated the valuable feedback from our educators, families, students and community for creating a schedule that supports optimal learning and well-being. Our goal is to provide a high-quality education in a supportive and inclusive environment, and this calendar will help us achieve that goal.”
The full calendar is available on the district’s website.
The Broward district is the second largest in the state behind Miami-Dade with 247,501 students at 239 schools.
Miami-Dade hasn’t announced its calendar for 2025-26.
