The Waukee Brief

The local's guide · School calendar

Waukee Schools 2026-27 calendar: every no-school day, early out, conference, and break on one screen.

Waukee's calendar has a lot going on. There's an early out almost every other Wednesday, conferences land on different weeks for elementary, 6-9, and each high school, and two of the days off (Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr) are ones that newer families don't always see coming. So we pulled every date off the district's official 2026-27 calendar and put it in one table. It's the same calendar for every building in the district, Waukee High and Northwest included. Print it, stick it on the fridge, done.

The quick version

School started Monday, August 24, 2026 and ends Friday, May 28, 2027 (an early dismissal). Winter break is Dec 23 to Jan 1. Spring break is Mar 15 to 19. Students get 24 weekdays off, four of them teacher work days, plus 18 early dismissals. All but one of those early outs is on a Wednesday. Every date is in the table below.

At a glance

Waukee 2026-27 key dates

First day
Aug 24
Monday, 2026
Winter break
Dec 23 to Jan 1
8 weekdays off
Spring break
Mar 15 to 19
Mon to Fri, 2027
Last day
May 28
Friday, early dismissal

The table has everything the district put on its official calendar: first and last days, every no-school day, the four teacher work days, all 18 early dismissals, every parent-teacher conference window, the breaks, and when each term starts and ends. Preschool starts and ends on different days, so those dates are in here too. Legend: First / Last No school Teacher day Break Early out Conferences Term FYI

Month by month

Every date on the Waukee 2026-27 calendar

DateDayWhat it is
August 2026
Aug 20ThursdayFYI K-12 Open House
Aug 24MondayFirst day First Day of School
Aug 24 to 25Mon to TueFYI Kindergarten Transition Days
Aug 27ThursdayFYI Preschool Open House
Aug 31MondayFirst day First Day of Preschool
September 2026
Sep 7MondayNo school Labor Day
Sep 9WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Sep 17ThursdayConferences Waukee High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Sep 21MondayNo school Yom Kippur
Sep 23WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Sep 24ThursdayConferences Northwest High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 2026
Oct 7WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Oct 21WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Oct 21 to 22Wed to ThuConferences Grades 6-9 Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct 23FridayTerm End of Term 1 (school is in session)
Oct 26MondayTeacher day No School / Teacher Work Day
Oct 27TuesdayTerm Beginning of Term 2
November 2026
Nov 4WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Nov 8SundayFYI Diwali (listed on the calendar; falls on a Sunday)
Nov 14 to 19Sat to ThuConferences Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
Nov 18WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Nov 25 to 27Wed to FriBreak Thanksgiving Break, no school (3 days)
December 2026
Dec 2WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Dec 3ThursdayConferences High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Dec 16WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Dec 23 to 31Wed to ThuBreak Winter Break, no school (Dec 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31); Dec 25 is Christmas Day
January 2027
Jan 1FridayBreak Winter Break continues, no school
Jan 13WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Jan 14ThursdayTerm End of Term 2 (school is in session)
Jan 15FridayTeacher day No School / Teacher Work Day
Jan 18MondayNo school MLK Day
Jan 19TuesdayTerm Beginning of Term 3
Jan 27WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
February 2027
Feb 10WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Feb 18ThursdayConferences High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Feb 24WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Feb 24 to 25Wed to ThuConferences Grades 6-9 Parent-Teacher Conferences
Feb 26FridayTeacher day No School / Teacher Work Day
March 2027
Mar 6 to 11Sat to ThuConferences Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
Mar 9TuesdayNo school Eid al-Fitr
Mar 10WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Mar 15 to 19Mon to FriBreak Spring Break, no school (5 days)
Mar 30TuesdayTerm End of Term 3 (school is in session)
Mar 31WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal, and Term Beginning of Term 4
April 2027
Apr 14WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Apr 23FridayTeacher day No School / Teacher Work Day
Apr 28WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
Apr 29ThursdayConferences High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
May 2027
May 12WednesdayEarly out Early Dismissal
May 23SundayFYI NWHS & WHS Graduation (Commencement)
May 27ThursdayLast day Last Day of Preschool
May 28FridayLast day Last Day of School, Early Dismissal
May 31MondayFYI Memorial Day (after the last day)
June 2027
JuneNothing on the official calendar. It lists no snow make-up days.

Early dismissal times, per the district calendar: elementary 1:40 p.m., middle school 12:40 p.m., 9th grade schools 1:00 p.m., high school 12:50 p.m. The calendar doesn't list snow make-up days. It says the district schedules at least 1,080 instructional hours to meet Iowa's requirement (Board Policy 601.2). A lot of snow could still move the end of the year.

Get the change alerts: when Waukee moves a date, subscribers hear first.

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Quick answers

Waukee school calendar 2026-27: the numbers

First day of schoolMon, Aug 24, 2026
First day of preschoolMon, Aug 31, 2026
Thanksgiving breakNov 25 to 27 (3 weekdays)
Winter breakDec 23 to Jan 1 (8 weekdays)
Spring breakMar 15 to 19 (5 weekdays)
GraduationSun, May 23, 2027
Last day of preschoolThu, May 27, 2027
Last day of schoolFri, May 28, 2027, early out
Weekdays with no school24 total
Of those, teacher work days4
Early dismissals18 (17 Wednesdays + last day)

Here are the 24 weekdays off: Labor Day, Yom Kippur (Sep 21), Thanksgiving (3), winter break (8), MLK Day, Eid al-Fitr (Mar 9), spring break (5), and teacher work days on Oct 26, Jan 15, Feb 26, and Apr 23. Some stretches to plan around: mid-January has an early out Wednesday, the end of Term 2 on Thursday, and then a four-day weekend (Jan 15 to 18). March is busy too, with elementary conferences, the Eid day off, and an early out all in the week before spring break.

Fridge copy

Print it for the fridge

This page prints as a clean single sheet: just the table and key dates, no site navigation. There's also a PDF version made from it. Whichever you use, the weekly email will tell you if the district changes a date, so the copy on your fridge doesn't go stale.

Download the PDF → District's original PDF →
Planning around the days off?

Teacher days and early-out Wednesdays are when "what do we do with the kids" comes up. Start with things to do with kids in Waukee, see what's on in the events calendar, or if you need care, look at daycare and preschool. For registration, supply lists, and shots, go to the back-to-school guide. Meal accounts are covered on school lunch.

FAQ

Waukee school calendar: quick answers

When is the first day of school in Waukee for 2026-27?

The first day of school in the Waukee Community School District is Monday, August 24, 2026. Kindergarten transition days are August 24 and 25, and the first day of preschool is Monday, August 31, 2026, per the official 2026-27 Waukee CSD school calendar.

When is the last day of school in Waukee for 2026-27?

The last day of the 2026-27 Waukee school year is Friday, May 28, 2027, and it is an early dismissal. The last day of preschool is Thursday, May 27, 2027. Waukee High and Northwest High commencement is Sunday, May 23, 2027. The official calendar does not list snow make-up days.

When is winter break for Waukee schools in 2026-27?

Waukee's winter break runs Wednesday, December 23, 2026 through Friday, January 1, 2027, which is 8 weekdays with no school. The first school day after the break is Monday, January 4, 2027.

When is spring break for Waukee schools in 2027?

Waukee's spring break is Monday, March 15 through Friday, March 19, 2027, five weekdays with no school. Separately, there is no school on Tuesday, March 9, 2027 for Eid al-Fitr.

When are the early dismissal days for Waukee schools in 2026-27?

Waukee has 18 early dismissal days in 2026-27. Seventeen are Wednesdays: Sep 9 and 23, Oct 7 and 21, Nov 4 and 18, Dec 2 and 16, Jan 13 and 27, Feb 10 and 24, Mar 10 and 31, Apr 14 and 28, and May 12. The last day of school, Friday, May 28, is also an early dismissal. Early dismissal times are 1:40 p.m. for elementary schools, 12:40 p.m. for middle schools, 1:00 p.m. for 9th grade schools, and 12:50 p.m. for high schools.

More from The Waukee Brief All Waukee guides · Back to school · Schools · School lunch · With kids · Events calendar
Last checked September 2026
Sources: Waukee Community School District, official 2026-27 School Calendar (PDF), waukeeschools.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2026/08/Waukee-CSD-School-Calendar-Public-Calendar-2026-27.pdf, linked as the printable 2026-27 Academic Calendar from waukeeschools.org/calendar, and the district's text-only version of the same calendar at waukeeschools.org/academic-calendars (which lists the early dismissal dates by name). Every date above comes from those two district documents and nothing else. This one calendar covers every building in the district, including Waukee High School and Waukee Northwest High School. Early dismissal times and the 1,080 instructional hours note (Board Policy 601.2) are from the PDF. The calendar lists no snow make-up days, so we don't either; weather cancellations can change the end of the year, so check the district calendar. Last checked September 2026.
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