838 districts with a first day of school in 46 states, read September 29 – October 20, 2026
First Day of School 2026 by state
Counted by district: 538 of the 838 districts that list one (64%) start school between August 10 and August 28; most common date: August 12, for 123. Of the 997 districts we read, 838 list a first day of school. Counted by state: August 12, August 24 and August 25 are each typical in 5 of the 46 states we read; no single date leads. The earliest typical date is July 20 (South Carolina), the latest September 8 (New York).
First Day of School 2026, state by state
- Week of the typical date, by state
- 44 states in August, 1 state in July, 1 state in September
| State | Most common date | Districts on it | Range | Districts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | July 20 | 1 of 5 | July 20 to August 12 | 6 |
| Arizona | August 3 | 5 of 9 | July 23 to August 6 | 10 |
| Georgia | August 3 | 14 of 39 | July 30 to September 8 | 44 |
| Mississippi | August 3 | 3 of 11 | July 30 to August 7 | 12 |
| Tennessee | August 3 | 2 of 5 | July 31 to August 10 | 7 |
| Louisiana | August 5 | 1 of 2, small sample | August 5 to August 6 | 3 |
| New Mexico | August 5 | 2 of 5 | July 23 to August 12 | 5 |
| Indiana | August 6 | 2 of 5 | July 29 to August 6 | 7 |
| Kentucky | August 6 | 7 of 14 | August 6 to August 19 | 14 |
| Alabama | August 10 | 3 of 9 | August 5 to August 17 | 10 |
| Florida | August 10 | 5 of 6 | August 10 to August 11 | 8 |
| Nebraska | August 10 | 1 of 5 | August 10 to August 20 | 6 |
| Arkansas | August 12 | 22 of 52 | July 23 to August 19 | 59 |
| California | August 12 | 12 of 44 | August 4 to August 31 | 52 |
| Colorado | August 12 | 2 of 4, small sample | August 11 to August 31 | 4 |
| Texas | August 12 | 65 of 133 | July 27 to August 25 | 153 |
| Utah | August 12 | 1 of 3, small sample | August 12 to August 20 | 3 |
| Kansas | August 13 | 11 of 31 | August 10 to August 26 | 39 |
| Oklahoma | August 13 | 10 of 15 | August 6 to August 13 | 23 |
| Wyoming | August 17 | 2 of 4, small sample | August 17 to August 26 | 6 |
| North Dakota | August 18 | 1 of 2, small sample | August 18 to August 19 | 9 |
| Alaska | August 19 | 2 of 7 | August 13 to September 1 | 7 |
| Idaho | August 19 | 1 of 4, small sample | August 19 to August 26 | 4 |
| Illinois | August 19 | 8 of 34 | August 11 to August 27 | 42 |
| Ohio | August 19 | 10 of 28 | August 12 to September 8 | 38 |
| West Virginia | August 20 | 3 of 11 | August 13 to September 1 | 11 |
| Iowa | August 24 | 17 of 21 | August 24 to August 25 | 29 |
| Maryland | August 24 | 1 of 2, small sample | August 24 to August 26 | 4 |
| Michigan | August 24 | 30 of 83 | August 5 to September 9 | 98 |
| North Carolina | August 24 | 8 of 12 | August 10 to August 25 | 13 |
| Virginia | August 24 | 3 of 7 | August 10 to August 24 | 7 |
| Connecticut | August 25 | 1 of 3, small sample | August 25 to September 1 | 3 |
| Delaware | August 25 | 1 of 1, small sample | August 25 | 1 |
| Missouri | August 25 | 5 of 8 | August 24 to August 25 | 10 |
| Pennsylvania | August 25 | 13 of 63 | August 18 to September 8 | 75 |
| South Dakota | August 25 | 2 of 5 | August 13 to August 25 | 7 |
| Montana | August 26 | 1 of 1, small sample | August 26 | 1 |
| Washington | August 26 | 4 of 11 | August 24 to September 2 | 13 |
| Oregon | August 31 | 4 of 8 | August 24 to September 8 | 12 |
| Rhode Island | August 31 | 1 of 1, small sample | August 31 | 1 |
| Minnesota | September 1 | 2 of 4, small sample | September 1 to September 8 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | September 1 | 1 of 1, small sample | September 1 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | September 1 | 9 of 11 | August 31 to September 2 | 14 |
| Massachusetts | September 2 | 4 of 7 | August 24 to September 2 | 9 |
| New Jersey | September 3 | 19 of 71 | August 26 to September 9 | 78 |
| New York | September 8 | 17 of 31 | September 1 to September 10 | 34 |
Which week has the most districts?
- Busiest week
- August 10–14 (247 of 838 districts)
- Other weeks
- 591 districts in 7 weeks
| Week of (Monday) | Districts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| July 20 | 4 districts | 0% |
| July 27 | 15 districts | 2% |
| August 3 | 99 districts | 12% |
| August 10 | 247 districts | 29% |
| August 17 | 113 districts | 13% |
| August 24 | 178 districts | 21% |
| August 31 | 125 districts | 15% |
| September 7 | 57 districts | 7% |