Bullock County Alabama Schools Calendar

The sole public school system in this rural east-central Alabama county is Bullock County Schools, which enrolls roughly 1,300 to 1,400 students across about 625 square miles. All four campuses are in Union Springs, so families in Midway, Fitzpatrick, Perote, and the outlying farm communities follow one calendar, but many students ride long rural bus routes to reach it. That combination of one district, a small staff of roughly 150 employees, and a spread-out county gives the calendar a close-knit feel that larger systems do not have.

School District Structure in Bullock County

Alabama organizes public education into county school systems and independent city systems, and Bullock County falls in the first group. One district, Bullock County Schools, governs every public school in the county, so there is no city system or competing district to sort out when you are checking a calendar. Preschool through grade 12 is served by four campuses: Union Springs Elementary School, South Highlands Middle School, Bullock County High School, and the Bullock County Career Technical Center.

The governing body is the Bullock County Board of Education, a five-member board elected by the voters of the county. The central office is at 108 Hardaway Avenue in Union Springs, the phone number is (334) 513-1416, and the district website is bullockco.org. The site’s Board of Education section posts board members, meeting minutes, the board policy manual, and a livestream link for meetings, so you can follow a meeting without attending. The board meets on a regular schedule, but dates can shift for holidays and special sessions, so check the website before you plan to attend. The superintendent’s office handles daily administration, including calendar proposals and closure decisions. The district’s site named Sean Dees as superintendent when this was written, but confirm the current name on the website.

Union Springs, the county seat, is often called the “Field Trial Capital of the World,” and the county sits between Montgomery and the communities along Highway 82. Because the district is small and rural, the central office and the schools tend to be closely connected, and a parent with a calendar question can often reach a real person quickly.

Academic Calendar Structure

Bullock County Schools follows the traditional Alabama pattern of an August start and a late-May finish. Alabama districts open earlier than most states, and the 2026-2027 year is already well underway. The board adopts the following year’s calendar in the spring or sooner, and families can usually plan around a first day in the first half of August and a last day in the second half of May. The exact dates are on the adopted calendar at bullockco.org.

The year is split into two semesters. The fall semester begins in August and ends shortly before winter break in December, and the spring semester resumes in early January and runs through the end of the year. Alabama districts typically use four nine-week grading periods, with report cards at the end of each. High school courses are generally organized around semester credit, so December exam grades count toward graduation requirements at Bullock County High School.

Alabama law requires 180 days of student instruction, and Bullock County builds 180 student days into its adopted calendar. State rules also set a minimum length for the instructional day, so the board cannot shorten days to create extra breaks. Bell schedules vary by campus and bus route. Most Alabama schools start between roughly 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. and release between about 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., and the elementary, middle, and high schools in Union Springs run on a similar window. Confirm exact times with your child’s school office, especially if your child rides a long route.

School Holidays and Breaks

Exact dates move every year, so use the following as the general pattern and check the adopted calendar for the current dates.

Labor Day falls in early September and is a day off. In October, Alabama’s state holiday calendar observes Columbus Day alongside Fraternal Day and American Indian Heritage Day, and some Alabama districts build a fall break around it. Whether and how long Bullock County schedules a fall break varies by year, so read the calendar before you make plans.

Thanksgiving break usually covers most or all of the holiday week. Winter break lasts about two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day, with students returning in early January. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed in January, and Alabama’s state calendar pairs it with Robert E. Lee’s birthday. Presidents’ Day, observed in Alabama as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, may or may not be a student holiday in a given year.

Spring break normally falls in March or early April and lasts about a week. Memorial Day closes out the holiday sequence, and the last day of school falls just before it.

How to Find the Official Bullock County School Calendar

The board-adopted calendar is posted on the Bullock County Schools website at bullockco.org. Look for a calendar link in the main menu or under the district, parent, and community sections, where a PDF of the full-year calendar is usually posted. The district’s About Us section also has a calendar page. The board typically adopts the next year’s calendar at a regular meeting in the spring, in time for families to plan summer schedules.

Families comparing school schedules across Alabama can start with the Blount County Schools calendar, which outlines key dates like the first day of school, holiday breaks, and testing windows. For a side-by-side look at how another district plans its year, the Bullock County Schools calendar shows its own start dates, teacher workdays, and scheduled closures. Reviewing both helps parents, teachers, and students plan vacations, childcare, and activities, especially if they have ties to more than one district.

Be careful with third-party calendar sites. Bulloch County, Georgia, is spelled with an extra letter and has a much larger school system, and aggregator pages sometimes mix the two. Make sure any calendar you use names Bullock County Schools in Union Springs, Alabama. The district’s own site is the safest source.

Individual schools may post supplemental calendars for concerts, ceremonies, parent nights, and athletics. These add to the district calendar but do not replace it.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Teachers in Bullock County return before students in August for workdays and in-service training. Students are not in school on those days, and the days do not count toward the 180-day student requirement.

During the year, the district may schedule professional development days when students stay home, as well as early release afternoons when students are dismissed before the normal bell so teachers can meet or train. Alabama law and the Alabama State Department of Education set expectations for teacher professional learning, and the district’s participation in state programs such as the Alabama Reading Initiative adds training tied to early literacy. Early release and professional development dates are marked on the adopted calendar. Families who rely on after-school care or buses should note them at the start of each semester, since a shortened day changes pickup plans for students living far from Union Springs.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Severe weather is the main reason Bullock County students lose instructional days. East-central Alabama is exposed to spring tornado outbreaks, and heavy rain from storms or the remnants of Gulf hurricanes can flood low-lying rural roads. Winter ice is less frequent than in north Alabama, but it can make county roads dangerous. With long routes covering roughly 625 square miles, the district takes road conditions seriously when deciding on delays or closures. Bullock County is inland, so there are no hurricane preparation days or evacuation protocols, but tropical remnants are treated like any other weather emergency.

The superintendent’s office makes the closure or delay decision, usually early in the morning after consulting transportation staff and checking road conditions. The district announces closings through its website, social media pages, and its automated notification system. Ask your child’s school which system is current and confirm that your phone number is on file. Bullock County is in the Montgomery television market, so the Montgomery stations, including WSFA 12, WAKA CBS 8, WNCF ABC 32, and WCOV FOX 20, carry school closing lists during bad weather. The Union Springs Herald and local community pages also share notices.

Alabama requires 180 instructional days, so lost days must be made up through make-up days built into the calendar, added days, or a waiver request to the Alabama State Department of Education when circumstances justify it. The adopted calendar shows how the district plans to handle this.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

The school year winds down in mid-to-late May. Final exams for Bullock County High School students generally take place in the last week or two, with exemption policies set by the school. The high school’s graduation ceremony usually takes place in May, often in the evening at a school facility such as the gym or stadium, depending on weather. Contact the school for the current year’s venue and ticket policy, since seating limits can apply.

Union Springs Elementary and South Highlands Middle School typically hold awards or promotion ceremonies in the final weeks. Report cards are issued at the end of each nine-week period, and parents can follow grades through the district’s student information portal. If you do not have login credentials, ask your child’s school office.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Families moving to Union Springs, Midway, or the rural communities in between should contact the district early. Re-enrollment for returning students and enrollment for the next year usually open in the spring, and new students can register throughout the summer and during the school year. The central office at 108 Hardaway Avenue and the schools can tell you where to register for your child’s grade. Union Springs Elementary is at 211 Conecuh Avenue West, South Highlands Middle School is at 700 Bernard Street, and the Career Technical Center is at 304 Blackmon Avenue East.

Alabama schools generally require a certified birth certificate, proof of residency in the district such as a utility bill or lease, and an Alabama Certificate of Immunization from a physician or health department. Students transferring from another school should bring records or authorize a records transfer, and the district may ask for a withdrawal form from the previous school.

Supply lists are usually posted on the school pages shortly before the year begins, and open houses and meet-the-teacher events typically happen in the days just before the first day. They appear on the school and district calendars.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Several programs may run on slightly different rhythms from the standard school year. The Bullock County Career Technical Center offers career and technical courses, and its schedules and certification testing windows can differ from regular classes. Students in dual enrollment courses through nearby colleges follow the college’s calendar for those classes, so start dates, exam periods, and breaks may not match the high school’s.

Pre-K is another example. Union Springs Elementary serves pre-K through fourth grade, and Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program is state funded, so its operating calendar can differ from the K-12 calendar. Ask the district whether pre-K follows the same days as kindergarten through grade 12. The county has no separate alternative school listed among its four campuses, so contact the central office about credit recovery and alternative placements. Virtual learning options are available through state-supported programs, and the central office can tell you what Bullock County currently offers and which calendar those programs follow.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics in Alabama are governed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), which sets season dates, eligibility rules, and playoff schedules statewide. These schedules are separate from the academic calendar but closely tied to it. Bullock County High School’s teams play in AHSAA competition, so football practice begins in the summer before school opens, and fall sports run alongside the first grading period. Basketball runs through the winter, and spring sports compete through April and May, sometimes overlapping with final exams and graduation week. Games and tournaments can fall on school holidays, particularly around Thanksgiving and in winter, so athletes and families should check team schedules as well as the school calendar.

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

The Alabama State Board of Education and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) set the framework within which every local board must design its calendar. State law requires a minimum of 180 days of instruction and sets a minimum length for the school day, which limits how many extra breaks or shortened days a county board can add. The board must also respect state-recognized holidays and the spring statewide testing window.

Within that framework, the Bullock County Board of Education chooses the start and end dates, places holidays and professional development days, and decides how to make up lost days. In short, the state sets the minimums and the board fills in the rest, which is why Bullock County’s calendar looks similar to neighboring districts’ but still differs in the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Bullock County, Alabama?
Bullock County Schools usually begins the school year in the first half of August. The board sets the exact first day each year and posts it at bullockco.org.

When does school get out for summer in Bullock County?
The last day of school is typically in the second half of May, just before Memorial Day. The adopted calendar lists the exact date.

How many days are in a school year in Bullock County?
Alabama law requires 180 days of instruction, and Bullock County builds that number into its calendar. Teacher workdays and professional development days are in addition to the student days.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Bullock County?
Check the district website, social media pages, and the district’s notification system. Montgomery stations WSFA, WAKA, WNCF, and WCOV also broadcast closings and delays.

What is the spring break schedule for Bullock County schools?
Spring break usually falls in March or early April and lasts about one week. The dates change each year, so confirm them on the board-adopted calendar.

How do I enroll my child in Bullock County schools?
Contact the central office at 108 Hardaway Avenue in Union Springs, call (334) 513-1416, or visit your child’s school. You will need a birth certificate, proof of residency, and an Alabama Certificate of Immunization.

Are there any year-round schools in Bullock County?
No. Bullock County Schools follows a traditional August-to-May calendar. Some programs may offer summer sessions, so ask the central office.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Bullock County?
Start with your child’s school office, then the Bullock County Schools central office in Union Springs. The district website lists current phone numbers and email contacts.

Is Bullock County, Alabama, the same as Bulloch County, Georgia?
No. They are separate counties in different states with different school systems, and the spellings differ by one letter. Use only the Bullock County Schools calendar from bullockco.org for Alabama.