The USD 457 Board of Education approved an updated 2026-2027 school calendar at the March 9 meeting.
A morning session for Garden City Public Schools will be held for elementary, fifth, seventh, ninth and tenth grades and students new to the district onAugust 12. The first day of school for all students is August 13.
The Calendar Committee recommended moving the March 29 New Teacher In-service Day to the beginning of the school year. The new date would be August 3.
A clear theme emerged after reviewing feedback from new teacher surveys. New teachers are asking for more time at the beginning of the school year to support their transition into the district and the classroom.
For the past several years, the district has scheduled three new teacher in-service days prior to the start of school, along with one additional day in January and one day late in March to meet the required new teacher in-service time.
Over the past two years, survey responses from new teachers have consistently indicated that additional time at the start of the school year would better support their preparation, training, and confidence as they begin the year with students.
Prior to the three-day in-service model, the district scheduled all five new teacher in-service days at the beginning of the school year, which proved to be too much time before teachers had the opportunity to apply the training in their classrooms. The intent of the change to the calendar is that the four days at the start of the year will strike a better balance.
Some key dates on the calendar include:
- August 3 – 6: Orientation for new teachers
- August 7: Inservice for all teachers
- August 10: Workday for all teachers
- August 11: Inservice for all teachers
- August 12: Morning class only for elementary, fifth, seventh, ninth and tenth grades and students new to the district, teacher workday in the afternoon
- August 13: First full day of school for all students
- September 7: Labor Day observed, no school
- September 28: Teacher inservice
- October 12: Teacher inservice in the morning and teacher workday in the afternoon
- October 22 and 23: Parent Teacher Conferences
- November 23 – 27: Fall vacation
- December 18: Teacher inservice
- December 21 – January 1: Winter vacation: school is not in session
- January 4: Teacher workday
- January 5: Teacher inservice
- January 6: School resumes
- January 29: New teacher inservice
- February 15: Teacher inservice in the morning and teacher workday in the afternoon
- February 25 and 26: Parent Teacher Conferences
- March 15 – 19: Spring Break
- March 26 – 29: Spring Vacation
- April 16: Teacher inservice
- May 15: Graduation weekend
- May 20: Last day of school
- May 21: Teacher workday in the morning
The 2026-2027 calendar is available on the Garden City Public Schools website at www.gckschools.com. A copy of the school calendar can also be picked up at the Educational Support Center, 1205 Fleming Street.
