Charlton County Georgia Schools Calendar

Roughly 1,600 students attend the four schools of the Charlton County School District, a small, rural system in the southeast corner of Georgia on the Florida line. Much of the county is taken up by the Okefenokee Swamp and surrounding pine forest, so the district is compact in enrollment but covers a lot of ground. Its calendar follows the early-August-to-late-May pattern common in South Georgia, with a Thanksgiving week, a December holiday break, and a spring break in early April.

School District Structure in Charlton County

Charlton is a county, and one district serves all of it: the Charlton County School District, governed by the Charlton County Board of Education. There are no city school systems or competing districts, so every public school student in the county falls under the same calendar. The board is elected locally, hires the superintendent, approves the budget, and adopts the annual calendar. The district office is at 37 Touchdown Lane in Folkston, the county seat.

The district runs four schools:

• Folkston Elementary School: Pre-K through 4th grade
• St. George Elementary School: Pre-K through 6th grade, serving the southern end of the county
• Bethune Middle School: grades 5 through 8
• Charlton County High School: grades 9 through 12

The district serves the communities of Folkston, Homeland, Moniac, and St. George. Charlton is rural, and that shapes the calendar in practical ways. Bus routes cover long distances over sparsely populated roads, and a single district means a single set of dates for every family, including those with children in more than one school.

The board holds regular public meetings, and the schedule is posted on the district website. Calendar adoption is a recurring agenda item, so parents who want to follow the process can watch for it there.

Academic Calendar Structure

Charlton County uses a two-semester year. The most recent complete calendar I could verify, the 2025–2026 year, gives a good picture of the pattern: school began on Monday, August 4, 2025, the first semester ended on December 19, and the last day of school and graduation were on May 22, 2026. Report cards or progress reports are sent home at points through the year, and teacher planning and professional learning days sit on the calendar alongside student days.

The board approved the 2026–2027 calendar and the district posted it in February 2026. Folkston Elementary’s news page shows a “Welcome Back” notice dated August 10, 2026, which suggests students returned around that date. Confirm the exact first day, semester dates, and last day on the district’s official PDF rather than relying on a summary.

Georgia law requires a 180-day instructional year, plus minimum instructional time each day under State Board of Education rules. Charlton builds its calendar around those requirements, with student days spread between the August start and the May finish. School day start and end times vary by school and level, with the elementary, middle, and high school bell schedules set separately to work with bus routes. Check your child’s school page or call the school office for current times.

School Holidays and Breaks

A typical Charlton County calendar includes:

• Labor Day: first Monday of September
• Thanksgiving Break: the full week of Thanksgiving (in 2025, November 24–28)
• Winter/Christmas Break: about two weeks, beginning after the end of the first semester in mid-to-late December
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: third Monday in January
• Presidents’ Day: observed or built into a planning day, depending on the year (in 2026, March 16 was a no-school day for students and staff)
• Spring Break: early April (April 6–10 in 2026)
• Memorial Day: observed after the school year has ended

Unlike some Georgia districts, Charlton has not traditionally listed a full fall break week on its recent calendars, so do not assume one. Dates shift annually, so use the official calendar when booking travel or arranging child care.

How to Find the Official Charlton County School Calendar

The official source is the Charlton County Schools website at charlton.k12.ga.us. The calendar is under the “District” tab, then “School Calendar.” The district also posts an announcement when a new calendar is approved. The 2025–2026 calendar was approved at the board’s December 10 meeting in 2024, and the 2026–2027 calendar was posted in February 2026, so families can expect adoption to come well before the summer.

PDF versions are posted on the district site, and each school’s page links to the same district calendar. Individual schools publish their own notices for open houses, awards programs, athletic events, and picture days. For those, check the news and calendar sections on the Folkston Elementary, St. George Elementary, Bethune Middle, and Charlton County High pages.

Families comparing how nearby Georgia districts arrange their school years can look at the Charlton County Schools calendar alongside the Catoosa County Schools calendar. The two counties sit at opposite ends of the state, and the differences in break timing show how much local boards can shape the same 180-day requirement.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Charlton’s calendar sets aside days when teachers are working but students are not. These include pre-planning days before the first student day, planning days at the end of grading periods, and professional learning days during the year. On the 2025–2026 calendar, for example, a planning day appeared on March 13, and January 6 was a professional learning day.

Because Charlton is a small district, changes to the schedule are communicated directly. Watch for messages through the district’s notification system, the district Facebook page, and your child’s school. Georgia sets professional learning expectations for educators, and Charlton schedules those requirements into the non-student days on its calendar.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Charlton County’s closure risks are different from those in the mountains of North Georgia. Tropical storms and hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and smoke in the swampy interior, and power outages are the main concerns. The district has closed school after storms that left much of the county without power, and it consults local emergency services before deciding. In February 2026, for example, the district announced it would operate normally after speaking with emergency officials and said students affected by evacuations would be excused.

The superintendent makes the final decision, usually with input from county emergency management, transportation staff, and the sheriff’s office. When a storm is approaching, announcements may come a day ahead.

Closures are announced through:

• The district’s website and its Facebook page
• Automated calls, texts, or emails to families
• Jacksonville-area television stations that cover Charlton County, including WJXT (News4Jax), WTLV/WJAX (First Coast News), and Action News Jax
• Local community channels in Folkston

Keep your contact information current with your child’s school. Makeup days are handled through the board, which can adjust the calendar or use planning days to recover lost time.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams for high school students are held in the last week or two before the end of the year. In 2026, the last day of student attendance and graduation both fell on May 22. Graduation for Charlton County High School is typically held at the end of the school year, with date, time, and location announced by the school. Elementary and middle schools hold their own end-of-year awards and promotion events.

Report cards are issued at the end of each grading period, and families can use the district’s online parent portal to check grades. Contact your child’s school if you need help with portal access.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Families new to Charlton County should begin with the district website, which explains how to register. The central office at 37 Touchdown Lane handles enrollment questions, and the schools can also help. Documents commonly required include proof of residency in Charlton County, the child’s birth certificate, a Georgia certificate of immunization, and parent or guardian ID. Georgia also has specific immunization requirements for rising 7th graders, which the district has highlighted for families.

Open house events typically take place shortly before school starts in August. Supply lists are posted on school pages during the summer. For instance, Bethune Middle School posted its 2026–2027 supply list in June 2026. Because the district buys many supplies for students, lists tend to be short.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Most students follow the district calendar, but some programs have their own timelines:

• Dual enrollment: High school students can take college courses through Georgia’s dual enrollment program with regional colleges, and college semesters do not always match the K-12 calendar.
• Pre-K: Both Folkston Elementary and St. George Elementary serve Pre-K students, and Georgia Pre-K is state-funded with its own program rules.
• Career pathways: Charlton County High School offers career and technical coursework on the regular calendar.
• Virtual learning: Ask the district about available options and deadlines.

With only four schools, Charlton does not operate magnet schools or year-round schedules. There are no year-round schools in the county.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), which sets seasons, eligibility, and playoffs separately from the school calendar. Charlton County High School competes as the Indians and Maidens, with football in the fall, basketball in winter, and baseball, softball, and track in the spring. A long-running rivalry with Clinch County High School is part of the fall schedule.

Games can be rescheduled when weather interferes. For instance, a Charlton–Clinch football game was moved to a later date after a storm. Practices and games can run during school breaks, so check team schedules rather than assuming a break means no activity.

State-Level Calendar Requirements and How Georgia Law Governs Charlton County

The Georgia Department of Education and State Board of Education set the framework: 180 instructional days and minimum instructional time per day. Within that, local boards like Charlton’s decide when school starts and ends, where breaks fall, and how many planning and professional learning days to include. The state also publishes school and district data, including the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement report cards, which Charlton links from its website.

If weather causes lost days, the board has some flexibility to adjust the calendar, and districts facing unusual circumstances can seek guidance from the state. In a small rural district like Charlton, those decisions are made close to home.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Charlton County, Georgia?
Charlton typically starts in early August. The 2025–2026 year began August 4, and the 2026–2027 year appears to have begun around August 10. Verify on the district calendar.

When does school get out for summer in Charlton County?
In 2025–2026, the last day was May 22, 2026. Check the adopted calendar for the current year.

How many days are in a school year in Charlton County?
Georgia requires 180 instructional days, and the district’s calendar is built to meet that.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Charlton County?
Check the district’s alerts, website, and Facebook page, and watch Jacksonville-area TV stations.

What is the spring break schedule for Charlton County schools?
In 2026, spring break was April 6–10. Dates change each year, so check the current calendar.

How do I enroll my child in Charlton County schools?
Contact the district office at 37 Touchdown Lane in Folkston or your zoned school. Bring proof of residency, a birth certificate, and immunization records.

Are there any year-round schools in Charlton County?
No. All four schools follow the same traditional calendar.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Charlton County?
Call the district office at 912-496-2596 or contact your child’s school.