Fulton County Georgia Schools Calendar

Well over 100,000 students attend public school in Fulton County, Georgia, and they are split between two large districts: Fulton County Schools, which covers the suburbs and southern cities, and Atlanta Public Schools, which covers the city of Atlanta. The two calendars share a first day in early August but diverge on break placement, so families need to know which system they live in. Fulton County Schools also stands out for a short fall break in September and a spring break placement that sources report differently.

School District Structure in Fulton County

Fulton County stretches from the Chattahoochee River and Alpharetta in the north to Palmetto and Fairburn in the south, with Atlanta in the middle. Public education is divided between two independent districts:

• Fulton County Schools (FCS) serves most of the county outside the city of Atlanta, including Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, and Mountain Park in the north, and South Fulton, East Point, College Park, Hapeville, Union City, Fairburn, Palmetto, and Chattahoochee Hills in the south. It is the fourth-largest school district in Georgia. The central office is at 6201 Powers Ferry Road NW, and the district lists about 100 schools.
• Atlanta Public Schools (APS) serves students who live inside the city of Atlanta. Its profile lists 87 schools.

Each district is governed by its own elected board of education, which sets policy, adopts the budget, and approves the annual calendar. Each board hires a superintendent whose office runs daily operations. Both boards meet on regular schedules and post agendas on their websites, so check each district’s board page for current dates.

Fulton is the most urban and densely populated county in Georgia, with wealthy north-side suburbs, dense city neighborhoods, and more rural areas in the far south. That variety affects bus routing, school start times, and which families have flexibility to travel on school breaks.

Academic Calendar Structure

Both districts open on the same day. Fulton County Schools starts on August 3, 2026, and ends on May 27, 2027. Atlanta Public Schools also starts on Monday, August 3, 2026, and ends on Thursday, May 27, 2027.

FCS uses a semester structure. The first semester ends on December 18, 2026, and the second semester begins on January 5, 2027. Reporting describes the first semester as 88 instructional days. APS lists its fourth quarter ending on the last day of school, which indicates a quarter-based grading calendar within its semester structure.

Georgia requires 180 days of instruction or the equivalent hours. One tracker notes that FCS builds its 2026–2027 calendar around 176 instructional days, split equally between semesters, which reflects how Georgia districts can meet the standard through hours of instruction. Bell schedules differ by school and level in both districts, so confirm times with your child’s school instead of relying on last year’s schedule.

School Holidays and Breaks

The published 2026–2027 calendars list the following. Because both districts can amend their calendars, treat this as the pattern and confirm with each district.

For Fulton County Schools:

• Labor Day: September 7, 2026.
• Fall Break: September 21 through 23, 2026, with a holiday on October 12.
• Thanksgiving Break: November 23 through 27, 2026.
• Winter Break: December 21 through 31, 2026.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 18, 2027.
• Presidents’ Day: a holiday on February 15, 2027.
• Spring Break: sources disagree. One calendar listing shows March 5 through 9, 2027, while another reports April 5 through 9, 2027. Confirm this date on the district PDF before booking travel.
• Memorial Day: May 31, 2027.

For Atlanta Public Schools, the same pattern applies with its own dates. February 15, 2027, is listed as Presidents’ Day and a teacher professional learning day, and the district lists fall break, Thanksgiving break, and a December break on its official calendar. Check the APS PDF for exact dates.

How to Find the Official Fulton County School Calendar

Each district publishes its own approved calendar. For Fulton County Schools, go to the district website and open the calendar page, where the board-adopted PDF is posted, usually under the district or parents sections. For Atlanta Public Schools, use the APS website’s calendar resources. Both boards approve calendars well ahead of the school year, in many cases a year or more in advance, and then post amendments if changes are made.

Families comparing districts across the state often look at very different systems side by side. Comparing the Franklin County Schools calendar, which runs a small rural system in northeast Georgia with a late-July start and a full October fall break, with the Fulton County Schools calendar, a large metro district with a short September break, shows how much local boards can differ under the same state rules.

Individual schools also publish their own calendars for open houses, concerts, athletics, and field trips. Those supplement the district calendar and do not replace it.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Teachers report before students, and preplanning days in late July give staff time for training and classroom setup. During the year, both districts schedule days when students are home and educators are working, though they label them differently. APS pairs some holidays with teacher professional learning, as with February 15, while FCS lists some holidays as student holidays without a student-day reduction.

Both districts also use remote or learning days. FCS lists November 3, 2026, as a remote learning day tied to elections. APS lists a learning day on the same date. Early release schedules and changes are announced through parent portals, email, text, and school websites, so keep your contact information current. Georgia also requires teacher training in areas such as child safety and mandated reporting, which districts fit into planning and professional learning time.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Fulton does not face hurricane evacuations, but metro Atlanta takes ice seriously. The January 2014 storm that stranded commuters and students still shapes how both districts approach winter weather, and superintendents tend to close or delay early when ice is forecast. Hills, bridges, and the long north-south reach of the county mean conditions can differ between Alpharetta and Palmetto.

Each superintendent makes the call after consulting transportation staff, county and city road crews, and emergency management. Announcements go through the district’s automated phone, text, and email system, the district website, and social media. Local outlets carry them too, including WSB-TV, 11Alive, FOX 5 Atlanta, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Georgia gives local boards control over how lost days are handled, and districts may add make-up days, convert a day to remote learning, or amend the calendar. Watch for notices after any weather event.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

With a May 27 last day in both districts, final exams for middle and high school fall in the last week or two of May, and high school students also take exams before the December 18 semester break. Georgia’s end-of-course assessments are administered in the spring, so exam weeks can be heavy.

Graduation ceremonies for FCS and APS high schools take place around the end of the school year, and each school announces its date and venue in the spring. Elementary and middle schools hold awards and promotion events in the final weeks. Report cards and grades are available through each district’s parent portal.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

New students register with the district that serves their address, using online enrollment followed by document submission at the school or central office. Georgia requires:

• Proof of residency, such as a lease, deed, or utility bill, matched to the correct district and attendance zone.
• The child’s birth certificate or other proof of age.
• A Georgia Certificate of Immunization (Form 3231).
• Georgia vision, hearing, dental, and nutrition screening documentation (Form 3300) for new students.

Attendance zones matter in Fulton, because a home’s address determines both the district and the school. Re-enrollment for returning students generally opens in the spring or summer. Supply lists are usually posted on school websites in July, and open houses fall in the days before the August 3 start.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Most programs follow the district calendar. Both districts operate specialty programs, charter schools, and career pathways, and APS is known for its theme and magnet programs. Charter and specialty schools can set their own schedules within board approval, so check each school’s page. Students in Georgia’s dual enrollment program can take college courses, and with colleges across metro Atlanta, college calendars rarely line up with district breaks. Georgia’s lottery-funded Pre-K classes may follow slightly different days. Ask the district about virtual or alternative options, since details change. Neither district’s traditional schools run on a year-round calendar.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics in Georgia are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), not by the local boards. The association sets season windows, practice start dates, and playoffs. Fall sports begin before the August 3 start, football and cross country compete through the fall break and Thanksgiving week, and winter sports overlap with December exams. Teams should check their schedules around the September fall break and the spring break, since games and practices do not always pause with the school calendar.

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

The Georgia Department of Education and the State Board of Education set the framework: 180 days of instruction or the equivalent hours, plus assessment and attendance rules. Within that, the Fulton County Board of Education and the Atlanta Board of Education each decide their start dates, break placement, and end dates. That local control is why Fulton, Atlanta, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett run different calendars even though they share the same metro area.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Fulton County, Georgia?
Both Fulton County Schools and Atlanta Public Schools start on August 3, 2026. Confirm with your district.

When does school get out for summer in Fulton County?
The last day is May 27, 2027, in both districts.

How many days are in a school year in Fulton County?
Georgia requires 180 days or the equivalent hours. FCS builds its 2026–2027 calendar around 176 instructional days.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today?
Watch for your district’s call, text, or email, check its website and social media, or follow WSB-TV, 11Alive, and FOX 5 Atlanta.

What is the spring break schedule?
Sources disagree for FCS, listing either March 5 through 9 or April 5 through 9, 2027, so verify on the district PDF. Check the APS calendar for its dates.

How do I enroll my child?
Register with the district for your address, then provide proof of residency, a birth certificate, and Georgia immunization and screening forms.

Are there any year-round schools in Fulton County?
The traditional schools in both districts follow a standard calendar. Ask about any specialty or charter school.

Who do I contact about calendar questions?
Start with the Fulton County Schools central office in Sandy Springs, the Atlanta Public Schools central office, or your child’s school front office. Each district’s website lists current contact information.