EPISD School Year Calendar: Key Dates, Holidays and Breaks
Every EPISD family needs the school year calendar: the first and last days of school, the long breaks, early-release days, and teacher workdays when students stay home. This guide summarizes the typical landmarks of an El Paso Independent School District school year, explains how to find the official calendar, and shows how to keep those dates synced with Schoology.
Note: exact dates change from year to year. Always confirm against the official EPISD calendar — use this article to understand the structure of the year.
The Shape of an EPISD School Year
EPISD, like most Texas districts, runs on a traditional calendar of roughly 180 instructional days, starting in mid-to-late August and ending in late May or early June. The year is divided into two semesters, with the long winter break marking the midpoint.
Key Dates and Breaks
First day of school
Classes typically begin in mid-to-late August. EPISD announces the exact start date each spring when the board approves the next year’s calendar.
Fall break and Thanksgiving
Many EPISD calendars include a short fall break in October. The Thanksgiving break usually runs the full week of Thanksgiving — Monday through Friday — giving families five days off.
Winter break
The longest break of the year, typically spanning the last two weeks of December into the first days of January. It marks the end of the fall semester; final exams for secondary students usually land in the week before it.
Spring break
A full week off in March, aligned with the traditional Texas spring break window. It falls roughly two-thirds of the way through the spring semester.
Other holidays
EPISD observes Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Memorial Day, plus occasional single-day holidays.
Last day of school
The school year typically ends in late May or early June. The last day is often an early-release day, with graduation ceremonies for high school seniors scheduled in the days around it.
Early-Release Days and Teacher Workdays
- Early-release days: students are dismissed several hours early. These often fall on the last day before a break and on designated professional-development days.
- Teacher workdays / staff development days: students do not attend while teachers train or complete grading. They are scattered through the year — several in each semester.
Where to Find the Official EPISD Calendar
- EPISD website: the district publishes the approved instructional calendar on its website each spring, usually as a downloadable PDF.
- Your campus: individual schools post campus-specific calendars with events like picture day, pep rallies, and testing weeks.
- Schoology calendar: once logged in, the Schoology calendar shows your child’s assignment due dates and course events — it complements, but does not replace, the district calendar.
Syncing School Dates With Schoology
- Use the Schoology calendar view to see every assignment due date across all of a child’s courses in one monthly layout.
- Enable Schoology notifications for due-date reminders, so a long weekend never turns into a missed Monday deadline.
- Parents with multiple children can view all linked children’s calendars together from one parent account.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the EPISD school year start and end?
EPISD typically starts in mid-to-late August and ends in late May or early June. The exact dates are set each spring when the school board approves the next year’s instructional calendar — check the official EPISD calendar for the current year.
How long is winter break in EPISD?
Winter break usually covers the last two weeks of December and the first few days of January — roughly two full weeks. It marks the end of the fall semester, with classes resuming in early January.
Does EPISD have a fall break?
Many recent EPISD calendars include a short fall break in October, separate from the full Thanksgiving week. Whether it appears in a given year depends on the approved calendar, so verify against the official version.
Where can I download the official calendar?
The approved instructional calendar is published on the EPISD district website each spring as a downloadable PDF, and campuses share it in back-to-school communications.
