Pennsylvania school holidays

Pennsylvania sets a 180-day floor and leaves everything else to more than 500 local districts, which produces one of the most varied calendars in the country. The five on this page all start in late August: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Reading on August 24, 2026, and Central Bucks on August 31, though Central Bucks staggers its opening so that kindergarten and grades 6, 7, 9 and 10 attend on the 31st and everyone else joins on September 1.

The finishes run from Reading on June 3, 2027 through Pittsburgh on June 8, Philadelphia on June 9, Allentown on June 10 and Central Bucks on June 11. That week-long spread is small compared with the differences inside the year.

Two districts start the year with a long Labor Day weekend that the others do not get. Allentown and Reading both close from September 4 to 7, 2026, a four-day break in the second week of term.

Thanksgiving varies more than in most states. Pittsburgh closes only for November 26 and 27, 2026. Philadelphia and Central Bucks take November 25 to 27. Allentown takes November 25 to 30 and Reading November 23 to 30, a full week plus the following Monday. Philadelphia additionally closes October 9 to 12, 2026, which is the only real autumn break on this page.

Winter recess runs from December 23 or 24, 2026 to January 1, 2027 in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Central Bucks, while Allentown starts earlier on December 21 and runs to January 3.

February is where Pennsylvania distinguishes itself. Pittsburgh takes a January break from the 18th to the 20th, 2027. Reading closes February 11 to 15 and Central Bucks February 12 to 15 around Presidents' Day. Philadelphia takes neither.

Spring break is the most uniform week of the year. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Central Bucks all take March 22 to 26, 2027, Reading takes March 22 to 29 around Easter, and Allentown takes March 25 to 30.

The week of March 22, 2027 is the one week to book early. Every district on this page is off for at least part of it, so Hersheypark, the Poconos and the Philadelphia museums all peak together.

Snow make-up days are unusually aggressive in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Allentown lists February 12, March 25 and March 30 as make-up dates, and Reading lists November 23 to 25 and 30, February 15, and March 22 to 24 and 29. In a bad winter those breaks get shortened rather than the year extended, so treat Reading's Thanksgiving week and February break as conditional.

This page covers the School District of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Central Bucks School District, Allentown School District and Reading School District.