Developing the 2026-2027 & 2027-2028 Academic Calendars

Hays CISD typically develops academic calendars in two-year cycles, leaving enough time for parents and teachers to plan, but not getting too far ahead. The current, general Hays CISD academic calendar pattern has been developed and refined for more than a decade to both comply with state law requirements and achieve a calendar with a number of favorable components.

For the 2026-2027 & 2027-2028 calendars, draft versions using the district standard calendar pattern were presented to the District Leadership Team (comprised of teachers and community members representing all campuses) and all parents, staff, and students before the Board considered a vote to adopt new calendars. The Board adopted the future academic calendars at its November 2025 business meeting.

ADOPTED 2026-2027 Calendar

The UIL grading schedule chart will be added once completed.

link to calendar

(Click calendar image to enlarge and download a PDF)

ADOPTED 2027-2028 Calendar

The UIL grading schedule chart will be added once completed.

link calendar

(Click calendar image to enlarge and download a PDF)

Hays CISD Parent, Student, & Staff Survey

From Friday, November 7, 2025, through mid-day Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Hays CISD sought feedback on the proposed upcoming academic calendars. This feedback was considered during the Board of Trustees' deliberations prior to adopting the final calendars. A total of 1,294 people responded to the survey.

See the Survey Results

Texas School Calendar Requirements:

  • Minimum 75,600 Minutes of Instruction*

  • Minimum 187 Teacher Contract Days

  • Start Date No Earlier Than 4th Monday in August**

  • Last Day of School Must Be May 15th or Later

  • No School on Memorial Day

*Hays CISD, like many school districts is granted a state waiver of 2,100 minutes of instruction to allow for additional teacher professional development.

**As part of the Hays CISD District of Innovation Plan, the district is allowed to waive this requirement, starting school earlier in August to allow for a calendar end-date prior to Memorial Day in May.

Hays CISD School Calendar Highlights:

  • School Year Ends Prior to Memorial Day in May*

  • All Traditional Holidays are Included

  • At Least a 3-Day Break Monthly (if Possible)

  • Students Off the Day After Halloween

  • Students Off on November Election Days**

  • School Occurs on Veterans Day to Allow for Veterans Events on Campus***

  • The District is Closed the Entire Week of Thanksgiving

  • The Second Semester Starts in January

  • Spring Break Matches the University of Texas at Austin^

  • The District Banks Enough Surplus Instructional Minutes to Avoid Needed Bad Weather Make Up Days

  • Must Allow Approximately 40 minutes Between Bell Schedule Times for Bus Fleet Turn-Around^^

*This helps accommodate graduation scheduling and prevents the school year from encroaching into June.

**Hays CISD campuses are sometimes needed as polling locations.

***School doesn't occur if Veterans Day is on a weekend. The district is closed on Memorial Day to honor fallen members of the armed forces.

^This is because most colleges in the area, including Austin Community College and Texas State University generally match spring break with UT and it allows for Hays CISD students in dual credit courses to have spring break.

^^Hays CISD uses the same buses to transport elementary school children, then middle school children, then high school children - hence a staggered start time depending on the grade levels at campuses.