Chicago Public Schools Posts Proposed 2024-25 and 2025-26 Academic Calendars

CHICAGO – In an effort to support effective planning, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has posted proposed academic calendars for both School Year 2024-25 and School Year 2025-26. The two draft school year calendars, as well as a related survey of parents and staff, are posted on the District Policies & Rules website page, under “February” as officials prepare to take calendars to the Board of Education for final approval at the February 22nd meeting. Information about the draft calendars and new survey was shared earlier today with staff and families and the final Board-approved calendars will be distributed to CPS families and staff following the Board’s action in February.

“We’re especially grateful for all those who took time to share their feedback on our calendar development to date and we hope that our community will take a moment to weigh in on these draft calendars,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “We’re excited to help our staff, families and community plan ahead with the adoption in February of the next two academic school year calendars.”

In addition to soliciting staff and parent feedback, CPS shared a calendar survey Tuesday with sixth through 12th grade students. The student survey will close at 5 p.m. Friday, February 2, while the survey for parents, staff, and the community will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 7. The results of the surveys will be incorporated into feedback to date from approximately 7,500 school-based staff, parents, principals, teachers, and faith-based leaders via surveys and focus groups.

Both draft calendars prioritize uninterrupted stretches of learning and maximize learning at the beginning of the school year. The calendars align closely with the academic calendars of suburban school districts and area colleges and universities, including the City Colleges of Chicago system. It also allows more students to participate in summer camps as well as jobs and recreational opportunities that start earlier in the summer. These school year start dates aim to give high school students time to prepare for important exams, including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) tests and the SAT.

The proposed School Year 2025 (SY25) calendar continues to start the school year in August, but moves the first day back a week - just for SY25 - as the city prepares to host the Democratic National Convention (August 19 to 22, 2024) and accommodate an estimated influx of 75,000 visitors. This shift not only accommodates the city’s logistical needs as they relate to the influx of Conventiongoers, but it also allows time for students to attend, volunteer, and participate in the civic process of hosting the Convention. The SY25 calendar highlights include:

• Student start date of Monday, August 26, 2024 and a student end date of June 12, 2025
• 176 full student attendance days
• 12 professional development days for eligible employees
• Two parent-teacher conferences
• Two-week winter vacation and one-week spring vacation
• No student attendance on both national and local Election Day(s)
• No student instruction for the week of Thanksgiving

Under the SY25 calendar, the first semester would end on Friday, January 17, 2025 due to the later start of the school year. The District will resume ending the first semester before winter break in SY26.

The District posted a draft SY2025-26 calendar that features the above cited features, beginning with an August 18, 2025 student start date and a June 4, 2026 student end date. This calendar follows the above structures, but establishes a start date that allows students and staff to complete the first semester prior to winter break, enabling them to enjoy the break and start the second semester upon their return to school in January.