Katy ISD releases full 2026-27 calendar with new fall break

Katy ISD families get their first October fall break this school year, part of a 2026-27 instructional calendar the district shared on its X account on Tuesday, Aug. 11, one day before the first day of school.

The calendar, approved by the Katy ISD Board of Trustees on Jan. 20, covers 172 instructional days for the district's more than 95,000 students. Here's what families need to know.

Key dates at a glance

First day of school: Wednesday, Aug. 12

Labor Day (no school): Monday, Sept. 7

Fall break (new): Oct. 9–13. The five-day break for students and staff was added after the board amended the calendar in January following what the district called "extensive community feedback" in support of the change.

Thanksgiving break: Nov. 23–27

End of fall semester / early dismissal: Friday, Dec. 18

Winter break: Dec. 21–Jan. 1

Spring semester begins: Tuesday, Jan. 5

MLK Day (no school): Monday, Jan. 18

Presidents' Day (no school): Monday, Feb. 15

Spring break: March 8–12

Spring/Easter break: March 26–29

Last day of school / early dismissal: Tuesday, May 26

Three-day weekends and staff days

Beyond the major breaks, several campus professional learning days mean no school for students. In the fall, those land on Friday, Sept. 18, Friday, Oct. 23 and Monday, Nov. 2. In the spring: Thursday, Feb. 12 and Thursday, April 9.

The Friday dates pair with the following weekend to create three-day breaks.

What's new this year

The headline addition is the October fall break. The Board of Trustees approved the amendment on Jan. 20 after surveying families, and also adopted a fall break for the 2027-28 calendar. The district noted that its calendars still meet the state-required minimum of 75,600 operational minutes.

Superintendent Ken Gregorski highlighted new math resources for kindergarten through 12th grade, expanded career and technical education pathways and a continued focus on school safety in his Aug. 10 back-to-school letter to families.

"Whether your child is starting kindergarten, entering their senior year, or somewhere in between, we are excited to partner with you for another year of learning, growth and opportunity," Gregorski wrote.