SchoolDates
Read from the district on October 8, 2026

Charleston Community Unit School District 1 school calendar, 2026–2027

Key dates for 2026–2027: first day of school August 11; Thanksgiving break November 25–27; winter break December 21 to January 4; spring break March 15–19; last day of school May 20.

Next time off Oct 9 Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day + 1 more day off · October 9–12 As of October 8, 2026, the day this calendar was read
School days off this year 27 across 10 separate closures
Last day of school May 20 Thursday
First day of school August 11; Thanksgiving break November 25–27; Winter break December 21 to January 4; Spring break March 15–19; Last day of school May 20;
Add these dates to your phoneEvery date below, in your calendar app.
iPhone or iPadAdd to Apple CalendarAndroidAdd to Google CalendarDownload the filecalendar.ics, for any other calendar app

Month by month

Days off: school breaks, holidays and staff days. Not days off: early releases and term milestones.

August 2026

SMTWTFS
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
  • 10No school
  • 11First day

September 2026

SMTWTFS
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
  • 4Early release
  • 7Labor Day
  • 18Early release

October 2026

SMTWTFS
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
  • 2Early release
  • 9No school
  • 12Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day
  • 22Early release
  • 23Conferences, no school

November 2026

SMTWTFS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
  • 3No school
  • 6Early release
  • 20Early release
  • 25–27Thanksgiving break

December 2026

SMTWTFS
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
  • 18Early release
  • 21 onWinter break

January 2027

SMTWTFS
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
  • to 4Winter break
  • 5Term starts
  • 15Early release
  • 18MLK Day
  • 29Early release

February 2027

SMTWTFS
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
  • 12Early release
  • 15Presidents Day
  • 26Early release

March 2027

SMTWTFS
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
  • 5Early release
  • 15–19Spring break
  • 26No school

April 2027

SMTWTFS
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
  • 2Early release
  • 16Early release

May 2027

SMTWTFS
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
  • 7Early release
  • 14Graduation
  • 20Last day
  • 24Memorial Day
School break Holiday, no school Staff day, no students Early release Term milestone

Key dates

Key dates · 2026–2027
WhatDatesSchool daysBack to schoolSame dates in Illinois
First day of schoolAugust 11——2 of 34 · Illinois first day of school 2026, by district
Thanksgiving breakNovember 25–273Monday, November 3024 of 38 · Illinois Thanksgiving break 2026, by district
Winter breakDecember 21 to January 411Tuesday, January 517 of 38 · Illinois winter break 2026–27, by district
Spring breakMarch 15–195Monday, March 222 of 40 · Illinois spring break 2027, by district
Last day of schoolMay 20——3 of 33 · Illinois last day of school 2027, by district
Longest closure
Winter break, December 21 to January 4 (11 school days)
One-day closures
6
Closures starting Tuesday to Thursday
2
Staff days, no students
none published
Early-release days
17: Sep 4, Sep 18, Oct 2, Oct 22, Nov 6, Nov 20 and 11 more
Most days off in one month
December, 9 school days
Months with no day off
August, April and May
Longest run of school days
39, March 29 to May 20
Nearly the same breaks as
Champaign Unit 4

Earliest first day of school of the 34 Illinois districts we read, tied with Oakland Community Unit School District 5: Tuesday, August 11.

Every date

Every published date · Charleston Community Unit School District 1 · 2026–2027
DateWhat it isTime offDistrict’s own wording
August 10No school—Teacher's Institute-No student attendance
August 11First day of school—First Day of School for Students
September 4Early release—2-hour early dismissal
September 7Labor Day1 school dayLabor Day-NO SCHOOL
September 18Early release—2-hour early dismissal
October 2Early release—2-hour early dismissal
October 9No school1 school dayEnd Q1/Teacher Institute-No student attendance
October 12Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day1 school dayColumbus Day-NO SCHOOL
October 22Early release—Half day student attendance/PT conferences
October 23Parent-teacher conferences, no school1 school dayPT Conferences-No student attendance
November 3No school1 school dayElection Day-NO SCHOOL
November 6Early release—2-hour early dismissal
November 20Early release—2-hour early dismissal
November 25–27Thanksgiving break3 school daysThanksgiving Holiday-NO SCHOOL
December 18Early release—2-hour early dismissal/End Semester 1/Holiday Break Begins
December 21 to January 4Winter break11 school daysTeacher Institute-NO SCHOOL; Dec 21–Jan 1: Holdiay Break-NO SCHOOL
January 5New term begins—School Resumes/Begin Semester 2
January 15Early release—2-hour early dismissal
January 18Martin Luther King Jr. Day1 school dayMLK Day-NO SCHOOL
January 29Early release—2-hour early dismissal
February 12Early release—2-hour early dismissal
February 15Presidents Day1 school dayPresident's Day-NO SCHOOL
February 26Early release—2-hour early dismissal
March 5Early release—Half day-No student attendance/PT conferences
March 15–19Spring break5 school daysSpring Breaks-NO SCHOOL
March 26No school1 school dayGood Friday-NO SCHOOL
April 2Early release—2-hour early dismissal
April 16Early release—2-hour early dismissal
May 7Early release—2-hour early dismissal
May 14Graduation—CHS Graduation @ EIU Groniger Arena
May 14Early release—Half day student attendance
May 20Last day of school—(pending) 2-hour early dismissal/End Semester 2/Last day of student attendance
May 20Early release—2-hour early dismissal (pending)
May 24Memorial Day—Memorial Day-NO SCHOOL

Sources

  1. District’s calendar: https://www.charleston.k12.il.us/events (the source)
  2. District website: https://www.charleston.k12.il.us
  3. Calendar feed read on October 8, 2026: https://thrillshare-cmsv2.services.thrillshare.com/api/v4/o/3880/cms/events

How these dates are read and labeled: Methodology.

Other Illinois districts

Bethalto Community Unit School District 8: 27 school days off Columbia Community Unit School District 4: 27 school days off Effingham Community Unit School District 40: 27 school days off River Ridge Community Unit School District 210: 27 school days off