Russell County Alabama Schools Calendar

School District Structure in Russell County

Russell County is a county in Alabama, with Phenix City as its seat and largest city. Public education here is split between two separate systems, each governed by its own board.

The Phenix City School System is a city system governed by the Phenix City Board of Education. It serves students inside the city limits, which sit across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia. As a city district in a metro area, it has a larger enrollment and a more suburban-urban profile, including children from military families connected to nearby Fort Moore.

The Russell County School System is a county system governed by the Russell County Board of Education, with a central office and superintendent’s office that handle district-wide decisions. It serves the rural and small-town areas outside the Phenix City limits, including communities such as Seale and Hurtsboro. Distances between schools and homes are longer, so bus routes shape the day more than they do in the city.

In Alabama, each system’s superintendent is appointed by the local board, and the boards generally meet monthly in public session. Meeting dates, agendas, and minutes are posted on each district’s website, and the spring meetings are where the next year’s calendar is usually adopted.

Academic Calendar Structure

Alabama districts typically start in early August and finish in late May. Russell County’s two systems follow that pattern, though the exact first and last days are set separately by each board.

Published information for the 2026-2027 year points to a Russell County Schools start in early August 2026 and a final day in mid-to-late May 2027, but you should confirm these against the board-adopted PDF. Third-party calendar sites do not agree with each other, which is a good reason to rely on the district’s own documents.

• Fall semester: begins in early August and ends just before the December break.
• Spring semester: begins in early January after winter break and ends in May.
• Grading periods: Alabama districts commonly use nine-week grading periods inside two semesters, with report cards issued at the end of each period and progress reports in between. Check your school’s handbook for its exact schedule.
• Instructional days: Alabama law requires 180 days of instruction. Each board builds its calendar so that, after holidays, teacher days, and breaks, students reach that total.
• School day hours: Hours vary by building and by transportation needs. In general, elementary schools start earliest and high schools often run a bit later, with the full day meeting the state’s minimum length of instructional time. Each school posts its own bell times.

School Holidays and Breaks

Both Russell County systems observe the usual set of federal and seasonal holidays. The exact days shift every year, so treat the list below as a pattern rather than a schedule.

• Labor Day: the first Monday in September.
• Fall break: some Alabama districts build in a short October break, and Russell County has been reported to do so in some years. Check the current calendar.
• Veterans Day: observed in November in many Alabama districts.
• Thanksgiving break: typically the full week of Thanksgiving or a shortened version of it.
• Winter break: usually about two weeks, spanning Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: the third Monday in January. Alabama also observes a joint Robert E. Lee/MLK holiday on the same day, and schools are closed.
• Presidents’ Day: the third Monday in February.
• Spring break: usually one week in March or early April, often timed to line up with neighboring districts and with Easter.
• Memorial Day: after the school year ends in most years.

Because the Phenix City and Russell County systems adopt their calendars independently, their breaks can fall in different weeks. If you have children in both systems, compare the two documents before booking travel.

How to Find the Official Russell County School Calendar

The authoritative calendar is the one your own board adopts. Use the Phenix City School System website if you live in the city, and the Russell County Schools website if you live outside it. Each district posts the current-year PDF, usually in a “District,” “Parents,” or “Community” section of the site.

Boards generally approve the following year’s calendar at a spring meeting. After adoption, the PDF is posted and school offices can answer questions. Individual schools also keep supplemental calendars for athletic events, concerts, field trips, and parent nights, so check both the district calendar and your child’s school page.

If your family lives, works, or has relatives elsewhere in east Alabama, you may find it useful to compare calendars across districts. You can review the Russell County Schools calendar alongside the Randolph County Schools calendar to see how start dates, fall and spring breaks, and the final day of school line up between the two systems, which helps when planning travel, shared childcare, or a move between counties.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Students do not attend on teacher workdays, which usually fall just before the first day of school, at the end of a semester, and in the days after the last student day. Professional development days during the school year are generally marked on the district calendar as “no students” days. Families should look for them before scheduling appointments or childcare.

Early release days are announced through the school’s usual channels, including school messaging systems, phone calls, text alerts, and social media. Alabama requires regular training for teachers in areas such as safety and student support, and districts schedule that work on non-student days where they can.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Russell County is in the Deep South, so closures here are more often caused by severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings, flooding, ice on rare occasions, and the remnants of tropical systems than by heavy snow. Each superintendent makes the closure call, usually after consulting local emergency management and checking road and weather conditions across the district’s bus routes. Rural routes can be affected when low-lying roads flood.

Makeup days depend on the board’s policy. Many Alabama districts build a small buffer into the calendar or add days at the end of the year, and the state allows districts to request relief in some circumstances. Check the district’s published policy.

For closure announcements, watch:

• The district’s automated phone, text, and email notifications
• The district website and official social media pages
• Columbus-area television stations such as WTVM, WRBL, and WLTZ
• Local radio and the Ledger-Enquirer

Make sure your contact details are current in the student information system so alerts reach you.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams for high school students usually take place during the last week or so of May, with schedules that differ from regular class days. High school graduation in Alabama normally takes place in May, either at a school stadium, gymnasium, or a larger regional venue. Each school announces its ceremony date and ticket policy in the spring. Elementary and middle schools may hold promotion or awards ceremonies in the final weeks.

Report cards are distributed at the end of each nine-week period, and parents can follow grades through the district’s online parent portal, which requires an account set up through the school.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Enrollment for new students is generally open year-round, and returning students are re-enrolled in the spring or summer. Families moving into the county should register through the school system that serves their address, either online or through the central enrollment office or the school itself.

Typical documents include:

• Proof of residency, such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill
• The child’s certified birth certificate
• An Alabama Certificate of Immunization
• Records from the previous school, if applicable
• A parent or guardian photo ID

Military families moving to the area should ask about transfer procedures and the interstate compact that helps children of service members. Supply lists are generally posted on school websites in July, and meet-the-teacher events or open houses are usually held in the week before classes begin.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Pre-K programs, including Alabama’s First Class Pre-K, may follow their own calendar for start dates, so confirm with the school hosting the class. High school students can explore dual enrollment and early college options through nearby colleges such as Chattahoochee Valley Community College, whose semesters do not always match the K-12 calendar. Career and technical programs and alternative programs may also use slightly different schedules, and Alabama’s virtual option, ACCESS Distance Learning, runs on its own timeline.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school sports in Alabama are governed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), not by the school boards. Seasons, classifications, and playoff schedules are set by the association, so a game can fall on a day when classes are not in session, and postseason play can run beyond the last day of school for some teams. Fall football and volleyball begin in August, soon after school starts, and spring sports finish around exam season.

State-Level Calendar Requirements and How Alabama Law Governs Russell County

The Alabama State Department of Education and the State Board of Education set the framework for local calendars. The core requirement is 180 days of instruction and a minimum length for the instructional day. Within those limits, the Phenix City and Russell County boards decide start dates, break weeks, holidays, and teacher workdays. They cannot reduce the total instructional time, which is why makeup days matter after storm closures.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Russell County, Alabama?
Both systems usually start in early August. Published information points to an early-August 2026 start for Russell County Schools, but confirm with your district.

When does school get out for summer?
Usually mid-to-late May. The exact last day is set by each board’s calendar.

How many days are in a school year?
Alabama requires 180 instructional days.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today?
Check your district’s alert messages, website, and social media, and local stations such as WTVM, WRBL, and WLTZ.

What is the spring break schedule?
Usually one week in March or early April. The two systems may not match, so check each calendar.

How do I enroll my child?
Use the district that serves your address and bring proof of residency, a birth certificate, and an immunization certificate.

Are there year-round schools?
Neither system is known for a year-round calendar. Confirm with the district.

Who do I contact about calendar questions?
Call the central office of the Phenix City School System or the Russell County School System, or your child’s school office.