SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Back-to-school planning has already begun in Scottsdale, with calendars now available to help parents prepare for the 2026-27 school year.
Scottsdale Unified School District students return to campus on Monday, Aug. 10. Staff are back even earlier, with new teacher orientation running July 29-31, returning teachers starting Aug. 3, and staff preparation days continuing through Aug. 7 ahead of the first day of school.
Key Dates Parents Should Mark Now
A few major breaks and milestones stand out on the calendar:
A New Pilot Program Changes Some Early Release Days
This year brings a notable shift for families used to navigating frequent early release afternoons. As part of a new pilot program, the Governing Board approved swapping four early release days for two full days off.
Two new full release days, meaning no school at all, have been added to the calendar: Oct. 9, 2026, and Jan. 4, 2027.
In exchange, four dates that were previously early release days will now be regular full school days: Sept. 16, 2026, Oct. 7, 2026, Dec. 9, 2026, and Jan. 13, 2027.
District officials say the goal is to reduce the number of schedule disruptions for families while still preserving time for staff professional learning and collaboration.
Where to Find the Full Calendar
Beyond these highlights, the district's full calendar includes additional early release days, conference schedules and board meeting dates throughout the year.
Families can review the complete calendar on the Scottsdale Unified School District website to plan around specific dates not covered here.
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