Illinois school holidays

Illinois districts set their own calendars around a 176-day minimum, and the state's legal school holidays, including Casimir Pulaski Day in early March, add closures that most other states do not have. Suburban districts tend to start in mid-August and finish in late May, while the city runs later at both ends.

Chicago Public Schools returns on August 24, 2026 and does not finish until June 11, 2027, the latest end date of any district on this page. Elgin U-46 starts later still on August 27 and finishes June 9. The DuPage and Will County districts run earlier: Naperville 203 and Rockford 205 both start on August 13, 2026, and Indian Prairie 204 on August 17. Naperville 203 finishes first, on May 24, 2027.

Thanksgiving is short in the city and long in the suburbs. Chicago Public Schools closes only for November 26 and 27, 2026. Naperville 203 and Elgin U-46 add the Wednesday, from November 25. Indian Prairie 204 and Rockford 205 take the full week from November 23.

Winter break starts on December 21, 2026 across all five districts. Rockford returns soonest, on January 4, 2027 after a break ending January 1, while Chicago and Naperville run to January 4 and Elgin and Indian Prairie to January 3.

Spring break splits cleanly between Chicago and the collar counties. Chicago Public Schools takes March 22 to 26, 2027. Elgin, Indian Prairie and Naperville all take the following week, March 29 to April 2. Rockford straddles both, from March 26 to April 2.

Rockford is also the one district here with a full set of extra closures: a Columbus Day break from October 9 to 12, 2026, a Presidents' Day break in February, Casimir Pulaski Day on March 1, 2027, and snow make-up days reserved for late May that will push its last day later if the winter is bad.

The last week of March is the busiest week of the Illinois spring, because the suburbs are off together. Chicago's own break the week before is a better time to be at the city's museums, since a large share of suburban families are still at school.

October is quiet almost everywhere in Illinois except Rockford, and the second half of May is quiet in Naperville while Chicago still has three weeks of term left.

This page covers Chicago Public Schools, Elgin Area School District U-46, Indian Prairie CUSD 204, Naperville CUSD 203 and Rockford Public Schools District 205.