What to know about the Springfield school calendar, including breaks

Claudette Riley, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

It won't be long before the first bell rings in Springfield Public Schools and students will be back in classrooms. The 2024-25 school year includes 172 days of learning for students in Missouri's largest district.

Here is a look at some highlights of the 2024-25 calendar:

A classroom at Williams Elementary school.
A classroom at Williams Elementary school.

There is more than one 'first day'

For the overwhelming majority of students in Springfield Public Schools — everyone in kindergarten through grade 12 — the first day is Monday, Aug. 19.

This also marks the start of the first quarter and semester. There are 81 days in the fall semester and 91 days in the spring semester.

The first day for young students enrolled in the Wonder Years preschool and early Childhood Special Education programs is not until Wednesday, Aug. 21.

School out on election days

A number of school buildings serve as polling places each election day, which increases traffic in or near those campuses.

In an effort to free up space and safeguard students and employees, the district will be closed Monday, Nov. 4 and Tuesday, Nov. 5 for the presidential election on Nov. 5, which tends to have a higher than average turnout.

The district will also be closed for the Tuesday, April 8 election, when voters are typically asked to elect school board and Springfield City Council members.

How many days off for Thanksgiving?

Again this year, students will be out for a full week. They will go to school through Friday, Nov. 22 and return Monday. Dec. 2.

The district is closed the day of Thanksgiving as well as the day before and after.

How long is winter break?

Students will be out for two weeks for winter break. The fall semester will end Friday, Dec. 20 and the first day of the spring break will be Monday, Jan. 6.

The two-week break will include Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Holidays, staff professional days

The district will be closed for a series of holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, and Memorial Day. However, Memorial Day comes after the end of the school year.

There are also four professional days scheduled during the year when certain employees are expected to work. They are on either Mondays or Fridays and students are out for these days:

  • Friday, Oct. 18

  • Monday, Nov. 4

  • Friday, Jan. 3

  • Friday, March 14

When is spring break?

This school year, spring break is the third full week of March, 17-21.

However, students are not scheduled to show up Friday, March 14.

Final day of class

The 2024-25 school year is scheduled to end on Friday, May 23 with a two-hour early release.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield school calendar: Here's when breaks are scheduled