LAKE FOREST, IL — Back-to-school planning is already underway in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, with calendars now available to help parents prepare for the first day of classes in each of its seven public school districts.
School starts on Aug. 26 for students at Lake Forest High School, and a day after for both of its feeder districts.
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Some schools still call Oct. 13 Columbus Day, while others call it Indigenous People's Day — in line with the state law that swapped them in 2021.
In addition to annual federal holidays, here are some of the important dates to get on the calendar ahead of the start of the 2026-27 school year in school districts in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff:
Lake Bluff School District 65
- First Day: Aug. 27, 2026
- Parent-Teacher Conference: Oct. 7 through Oct. 8, 2026
- Non-attendance Day: Oct. 9, 2026
- Indigenous Peoples' Day: Oct. 12, 2026
- Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 25 through Nov. 27, 2026
- Winter Break: Dec. 21, 2026 through Jan. 4, 2027
- Parent-Teacher Conference: Feb. 10 through Feb. 11, 2027
- Non-attendance Day: Feb. 12, 2027
- Spring Break: March 22 to March 26, 2027
- Institute Day: May 7, 2027
- Last Day: June 8, 2027
- Full schedule DOC »
Lake Forest School District 67
- First Day: Aug. 27, 2026
- Columbus Day: Oct. 12, 2026
- Parent-Teacher Conferences: Oct. 22 through Oct. 23, 2026
- Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 25 through Nov. 27, 2026
- Winter Break: Dec. 21, 2026 through Jan. 4, 2027
- Institute Day: Feb. 12, 2027
- Parent-Teacher Conferences: March 4 through March 5, 2027
- Spring Break: March 22 to March 29, 2027
- Institute Day: April 23, 2027
- Last Day: June 4, 2027
- Full schedule PDF »
Lake Forest High School
- First Day: Aug. 26, 2026
- Columbus Day: Oct. 12, 2026
- Parent-Teacher Conferences: Oct. 23, 2026
- Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 25 through Nov. 27, 2026
- Winter Break: Dec. 21, 2026 through Jan. 4, 2027
- Exam Days: Jan. 12 through Jan. 15, 2027
- No School: Jan 19, 2027
- Institute Day: Feb. 12, 2027
- Spring Break: March 22 to March 26, 2027
- No School: April 2, 2027
- Exam Days: June 1 through June 4, 2027
- Last Day: June 4, 2027
- Full schedule PDF »