2025-2026 Academic Calendar

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2026-2027 Academic Calendar

2026-2027 APPROVED ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The Board of Trustees voted during their meeting on June 23, 2025, to approve the 2026-27 Academic Calendar. 

Calendar Development Process
CCSD is committed to maintaining a transparent process while collaboratively building a calendar for the district. Community input is an important part of this work.

Calendar Factors and Considerations
The development of the calendar is guided by factors CCSD considers when creating the academic calendar:

• The law,
• educator input,
• community input, and
• SC Department of Education guidance.

Learn more about each of these factors below.

➢The Law:
SC Code of Law Section 59-1-425 stipulates several requirements that govern the academic calendar. They are included below. 

• The school term must include 190 days.
• 180 days of the school term must be used for instruction.
• The school term must cover at least 9 months.
• 3 days must be used for professional development.
• 3 weather make-up days are required to be identified on the calendar.
• The instructional day for students must be a minimum of 6 hours a day or its equivalent weekly.
• Half Days: Schools may reduce the length of the instructional day to at least 3 hours for not more than 3 days each year. (CCSD note: Early Release days are different from Half Days)
• SC Code of Law Section 59-1-370 governs the closing of schools on election day.

➢Educator Input:
In addition to analyzing employee community survey responses, CCSD will seek feedback on calendar options from representative groups of Teachers of the Year, Principal’s Cabinet members, Academic Cabinet Members, and local teacher advocacy groups prior to finalizing calendar options for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

➢Community Input:
Following the academic calendar development process in spring 2023, a group of 56 members of the CCSD community volunteered to serve on a 2024-25 calendar planning committee. All members of the CCSD community were invited to participate on the committee via a district-wide call/email, web posting, and via social media in March 2023. 
The planning committee is comprised of teachers, principals, district-office personnel, and parents. The group held their initial meeting on Friday, May 26, 2023, and collaboratively adopted a timeline for the group’s work as outlined here.
The committee surveyed the community from June 9 - June 21, 2023. The survey garnered over 5,000 responses. 

➢SC Department of Education Guidance:
Early Release Days 
Early release days are governed by this SC Department of Education Memo. As long as the week contains the minimum instructional 1,800 minutes, a school may have more than three (3) early release days where students are released early by two (2) hours. 

Weather Makeup Days/eLearning Days
The linked memo also addresses the use of weather makeup days. Charleston County School District is an SCDE-approved eLearning district. The current provision allows the district to use up to five (5) days in eLearning. These days are for emergency situations, such as inclement weather or utility interruptions. They are not planned days on the calendar. While weather makeup days may be scheduled during breaks, it is important to note that weather days will only be used  AFTER five eLearning days are exhausted.
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Questions?  Please email the Office of Strategy, Partnerships, and Planning.