The return to classrooms for the 2026-2027 school year in Florida will take place in the second week of August, although the dates vary by county.
Parents and students should check their district's calendar to avoid surprises, as each county sets its own start date for classes independently.
In total, 38 of Florida's 67 counties begin on August 10.
South Florida: Staggered dates in August
Broward and Palm Beach are opening their doors on Monday, August 10, making them the first in the southern part of the state to start the school year.
The county of Monroe -the Florida Keys- kicks off on Wednesday, August 12.
Miami-Dade, the largest school district in Florida, starts on Thursday, August 13, making it one of the few in the state that doesn’t begin in the first week.
Your course will conclude on June 3, 2027, leaving your families with one of the longest summers in the country.
The official Miami-Dade calendar 2026-2027 is available for download on the district's website.
Central Florida: Most start on August 10th
In the Orlando area, most of the counties in Central Florida begin on August 10, as confirmed by Telemundo 31.
The counties of Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, and Volusia will begin on Monday, August 10.
Orange -where Orlando is located- and Polk have postponed their start until Tuesday, August 11.
Florida's remaining cities: Tampa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee
Hillsborough (Tampa), Duval (Jacksonville), and Leon (Tallahassee) have set their first day of classes for August 10, in line with the majority of districts in the state.
Tax exemption for school purchases in Florida
Before the first day of classes, families in Florida can take advantage of the sales tax holiday for school supplies, which is valid from July 20 to August 20, 2026.
Clothing and footwear are exempt from tax up to $100 per item, school supplies up to $50, educational materials up to $30, and technological equipment like laptops and tablets up to $1,500, both in physical stores and online purchases.
For the new school year, Florida will also introduce the mandatory teaching of cursive writing in public schools, along with a law that establishes that middle schools cannot start before 8:00 a.m. and high schools cannot start before 8:30 a.m.
Start of classes in other places in the United States
Outside of Florida, the dates vary considerably.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) kicks off on August 12.
Chicago and Denver start on August 24. On the opposite end, New York does not open its schools until September 10.
As for the end of the school year, Los Angeles and Denver finish on June 4, 2027, Chicago on June 11, and New York on June 28, 2027.
«Families in Miami, Denver, and Los Angeles will have the longest summer, while those in New York will have the shortest», summarizes the 2026-2027 school calendar in the United States.
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