Katy ISD Approves October Fall Breaks for 2026–27 and 2027–28 School Years Following Community Feedback
Families across Katy Independent School District will soon see a new rhythm added to the academic year. The Katy ISD Board of Trustees has officially approved revisions to the 2026–27 instructional calendar and adopted the 2027–28 calendar, both of which now include a dedicated fall break in October. District leaders say the decision reflects clear and consistent feedback from the community, with parents, students, and staff expressing strong support for an additional break during the fall semester.
Katy ISD is one of the largest school districts in Texas, serving more than 94,000 students across roughly 70 campuses in Katy and surrounding communities. Spanning approximately 181 square miles, the district employs thousands of teachers and staff members who support students from early childhood through high school graduation. With that scale in mind, district leaders emphasized that calendar decisions are carefully weighed to balance instructional quality, staff wellbeing, and family needs.
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For the 2026–27 school year, students will begin classes on August 12, 2026, with the newly added fall break scheduled for October 9–13, 2026. Other key dates include a staff and student holiday on February 15, 2027, spring break from March 8–12, 2027, and the last day of school on Thursday, May 26, 2027. The Board also removed the early graduation option for seniors as part of the calendar update, aligning the year more closely with instructional pacing goals.
Looking ahead to the 2027–28 school year, the calendar sets the first day of school for August 11, 2027, with fall break planned for October 8–12, 2027. Spring break will run March 13–17, 2028, and the school year will conclude on May 24, 2028. As with the prior year, the calendar maintains consistency with state requirements while providing families an earlier opportunity in the year to rest and reset.
Click to enlarge. (Source: Katy ISD)District officials noted that both calendars meet all Texas Education Agency requirements outlined in Board Policies EB(LEGAL) and EB(LOCAL), including a minimum of 75,600 operational minutes. Elementary and junior high campuses operate for 437 minutes per day, while high school campuses operate for 447 minutes per day, ensuring students receive the full instructional time required by the state while still accommodating breaks and professional learning days.
The addition of a fall break follows a districtwide survey conducted last month that gathered input from parents, students, and staff. Results showed a clear preference for including an October break, with many respondents citing benefits such as student wellness, family scheduling flexibility, and staff recovery during a traditionally long stretch of the fall semester. Katy ISD leaders publicly thanked the thousands of community members who participated, emphasizing that large-scale engagement helps shape decisions that impact classrooms across the district.
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As Katy ISD continues to grow alongside the community it serves, district officials say the updated calendars reflect an ongoing effort to listen, adapt, and plan with families in mind. Full calendar details for both school years are available through the district and outline holidays, grading cycles, and professional learning days to help families plan well in advance.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
