Wakulla County florida schools calendar

Just south of Tallahassee, the Wakulla County School District serves about 5,500 students in eight schools, with its offices in Crawfordville and campuses reaching from Medart and Sopchoppy to the Gulf-coast community of Panacea. The district runs one countywide calendar and offers an unusual perk for families: free breakfast and lunch for all students during 2026-27. Its calendar also has a quirk of its own, a separate “spring holiday” on the Monday after Easter that comes right after spring break.

Many families compare a small Big Bend district with a much larger coastal one, and the Wakulla County schools calendar and Volusia County schools calendar are a good pairing for that. Wakulla enrolls about 5,500 students while Volusia serves more than 60,000, yet the two start on the same day, August 10, finish on the same day, May 26, and both begin spring break on March 15.

School District Structure in Wakulla County

Wakulla County has one public school district, the Wakulla County School District, governed by the Wakulla County School Board. The district office is at 69 Arran Road in Crawfordville, the county seat, and the district website is wakullaschooldistrict.org. The board meets in public session, with agendas and meeting dates posted online, and a superintendent oversees daily operations.

There are no separate city school systems in the county. Students in Crawfordville, Medart, Sopchoppy, St. Marks, Panacea and Shell Point attend schools under the same board and calendar. The district’s campuses include Wakulla High School, which enrolls about 1,400 students, along with middle schools, Crawfordville Elementary and other elementary and education centers. Private schools and homeschool programs in the county follow their own calendars.

Wakulla is largely rural, with deep woods, springs and marshes, and much of the land is part of the Apalachicola National Forest or protected shoreline. It is also a bedroom community for Tallahassee, so many parents commute to state government and university jobs in Leon County, which makes the overlap between Wakulla’s calendar and Tallahassee-area schedules a regular practical concern.

Academic Calendar Structure

For 2026-27, teachers and other staff report for pre-planning and in-service August 3 through 7, and students begin on Monday, August 10, 2026, which is an early release day. The last day for students is Wednesday, May 26, 2027, also an early release, followed by post-planning on May 27 and 28.

The district uses four nine-week grading periods. The first ends October 9, 2026, and the second ends December 18, 2026, which is also an early release and the end of the first semester. Florida requires 180 instructional days or an equivalent in hours, and Wakulla builds its calendar to meet that standard.

School day hours are set by level and school, so elementary, middle and high school start and dismissal times differ. Check your school’s page or the district’s transportation information for exact times.

School Holidays and Breaks

The 2026-27 calendar includes these closures:

• Labor Day: Monday, September 7, 2026.
• Teacher planning and in-service day: Monday, October 12, 2026.
• Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
• Thanksgiving holidays: November 23 through 27, 2026, beginning at the end of the day on November 20.
• Winter holiday: December 21 through 31, 2026, with a teacher planning day on January 4 and students returning in early January.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Observed in January with schools closed.
• Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 15, 2027.
• Spring break: March 15 through 19, 2027, beginning at the end of the day on March 12.
• Teacher planning and in-service day: Monday, March 22, 2027.
• Spring holiday: Monday, March 29, 2027, the day after Easter.
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 31, 2027, after the school year ends.

Exact dates change from year to year, so use this as the current adopted schedule and confirm it on the district website before booking travel. Because the spring break is followed by a planning day and then a separate spring holiday a week later, families should check both dates instead of assuming a single break.

How to Find the Official Wakulla County Calendar

The official calendar is on the district website at wakullaschooldistrict.org, posted as the school calendar for the current year. Third-party sites reproduce the dates, but the district’s version is the authoritative one. The district also runs a mobile app that brings school information together on a phone.

The School Board adopts the calendar at a public meeting, and agendas and minutes are posted online. Individual schools publish their own calendars for open houses, athletics, performances and parent nights, and Wakulla High School lists district-wide holidays alongside school events. If your children attend different schools, you will usually need the district calendar plus each school’s page.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays and Professional Development

Wakulla schedules a week of pre-planning and in-service before students arrive, and students are out on planning and in-service days on October 12, January 4 and March 22. Early release days fall on the first day of school, December 18 and the last day of school, and teachers use the time for planning and training.

The district announces schedule changes through the calendar, school messages, automated calls, texts and email, so keep your contact information current in the parent portal. Florida sets training requirements for teachers, and the district decides where to place professional development within the calendar.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Wakulla County sits on the Gulf coast of the Big Bend, and hurricanes are a regular threat. Hurricane Hermine in 2016, Hurricane Michael in 2018, Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Hurricane Helene in 2024 all affected the region, and low-lying communities such as Panacea, Shell Point, Spring Creek and St. Marks sit in evacuation zones. The district decides on closures in coordination with Wakulla County Emergency Management, and schools may be used as shelters.

If instructional time is lost, the district can add days to the calendar or seek relief from the state, depending on the circumstances. Check the district’s notices for the current plan.

Closure announcements go out through the district’s automated call, text and email system, wakullaschooldistrict.org and the district’s social media. Local and regional news also carries them, including the Wakulla News, the Tallahassee Democrat, WCTV, WTXL and WTWC.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams for secondary students fall in the last weeks of the spring semester, with semester exams before December 18. With the last student day on May 26, 2027, Wakulla High School’s graduation is generally held in the days around the end of May, and the school announces its ceremony date, time and venue. Ceremonies are commonly held at the school stadium or a larger venue in the area.

Elementary and middle schools hold their own promotion and recognition events near the end of the year. Report cards are issued at the end of each nine weeks, and families can view grades through the district’s online parent portal.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Families new to Wakulla can register through the district’s enrollment process or by contacting their zoned school. Assignments follow attendance zones, so the school your child attends depends on your address. Because the district provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, families do not need to apply for meal benefits at most schools, though they should confirm the details with their school. Registration typically requires:

• Proof of residency in Wakulla County, such as a lease, mortgage statement or utility bill
• The child’s birth certificate or other proof of age
• A Florida immunization record
• A school entry health exam on the required Florida form
• Records from the prior school, if transferring

Supply lists are usually posted by individual schools during the summer, and Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday typically falls in August. Orientation and meet-the-teacher dates vary by school, so contact your school’s office for details.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Most Wakulla programs follow the district calendar, but some differ. Students taking dual enrollment courses through Tallahassee State College, which has a center in Crawfordville, or through Florida State University or Florida A&M follow the college’s calendar for those classes, and its start dates and breaks differ from the K-12 schedule. Career and technical offerings may add their own events and requirements.

Pre-K programs, including Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten program, may use different hours or calendars, so confirm with the specific program. Alternative and virtual learning options may have their own enrollment windows. Private schools and homeschool programs in the county set their own calendars.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar

High school athletics in Wakulla are governed by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), which sets season dates, eligibility and playoff schedules. Athletic calendars are separate from the academic calendar but connected to it. Football and volleyball begin near the start of school, winter sports run through the holiday break, and spring sports overlap with the mid-March break, the planning day and the post-Easter holiday. Wakulla High School competes against nearby Big Bend schools, so check with your school’s athletic department for travel schedules.

How Florida Law Governs the Wakulla County Calendar

The Florida Legislature and the Florida Department of Education set the framework for every district’s calendar. The state requires 180 instructional days or the equivalent in hours, limits how early school can start in August, and schedules statewide assessments that districts must plan around. Wakulla follows the statewide testing calendar.

Within those limits, the Wakulla County School Board decides start and end dates, grading periods, holiday closures, early releases and planning days. That authority explains the district’s particular choices, such as opening on the earliest allowed date, starting Thanksgiving break at the end of the Friday before and adding a separate spring holiday after Easter.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Wakulla County, Florida?
For 2026-27, the first day for students is Monday, August 10, 2026, an early release day.

When does school get out for summer in Wakulla County?
The last day for students is Wednesday, May 26, 2027, also an early release day.

How many days are in a school year in Wakulla County?
Florida requires 180 instructional days or an equivalent in hours, and Wakulla builds its calendar around four nine-week grading periods to meet that standard.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Wakulla County?
Watch for district calls, texts and emails, check wakullaschooldistrict.org and the district’s social media, and follow local news including the Wakulla News, the Tallahassee Democrat, WCTV, WTXL and WTWC.

What is the spring break schedule for Wakulla County schools?
Spring break for 2026-27 runs March 15 through 19, 2027, with a teacher planning day on March 22 and a separate spring holiday on March 29.

How do I enroll my child in Wakulla County schools?
Contact your zoned school or the district office in Crawfordville. You will need proof of residency, a birth certificate, immunization records and a health exam form.

Are there any year-round schools in Wakulla County?
Wakulla County School District operates on a traditional calendar. Confirm with the district if a particular program follows a different schedule.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Wakulla County?
Start with your child’s school office, then the district office at 69 Arran Road in Crawfordville or the contact information on wakullaschooldistrict.org.