Chatham County Georgia Schools Calendar

More than 35,000 students attend the 50-plus schools of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, the largest district on Georgia’s coast and one of the biggest in the state. Because one system covers both the historic city of Savannah and the rest of the county, a single calendar governs families in neighborhoods as different as downtown Savannah, Pooler, and Tybee Island. The district also plans for something most Georgia systems never do: storm season on the coast, which can interrupt the start of the year and the fall.

School District Structure in Chatham County

Chatham is a county in Georgia, and public education here is unified. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) serves the whole county, including Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth, Bloomingdale, Thunderbolt, Tybee Island, and the unincorporated areas. There are no separate city school systems. The district is governed by the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education, an elected board that sets policy, adopts the budget, and approves the school calendar. The board hires the superintendent, currently Dr. Denise Watts, whose office is at the central administration building at 208 Bull Street in Savannah.

Chatham is mostly urban and suburban, with more rural and marsh-edged areas on the west and south sides. That mix matters for calendar design: long bus routes, large attendance zones, and a coastline with flood-prone roads all affect how the district plans.

Board meetings are held on a regular schedule posted on the district website, sccpss.com, along with agendas. Parents who want to follow calendar discussions can watch for them there.

Some families also have access to charter schools and private schools within the county. Charter and private schools may set their own calendars, so check directly with those schools instead of assuming they follow the district’s dates.

Academic Calendar Structure

SCCPSS runs two semesters, each divided into two nine-week grading periods. For 2026–2027, local television station WTOC reported that students return on Monday, August 3, 2026. A secondary calendar site lists the last day of school as Friday, May 21, 2027, but the district’s own PDF is the authority, so confirm the end date there. Winter break is listed as December 21 through December 31, 2026.

The first semester ends in December, and the second begins when students return in January. Because the district starts early in August, the school year wraps up in May, giving families time before summer programs and jobs.

Georgia requires a 180-day instructional year plus minimum instructional hours each day under State Board of Education rules. SCCPSS builds its calendar to meet those requirements while accounting for teacher planning days, holidays, and weather buffers. Bell times vary by school and level, and elementary, middle, and high schools run on different schedules to make the bus system work. Check your child’s school website for current start and dismissal times.

School Holidays and Breaks

A typical SCCPSS calendar includes:

• Labor Day: first Monday of September
• Thanksgiving Break: the week of Thanksgiving, with a longer closure on the days around the holiday
• Winter/Christmas Break: about two weeks, December 21 through December 31 in 2026
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: third Monday in January
• Presidents’ Day: observed on the third Monday in February in many years, or built into a planning day
• Spring Break: late March or early April
• Memorial Day: observed after the year ends or near the end of May

Unlike some Georgia districts, SCCPSS does not traditionally include a full week of fall break, though the district can adjust the calendar after hurricanes or other disruptions. Exact dates change every year, so use the board-approved calendar on sccpss.com to plan trips and child care.

How to Find the Official Chatham County School Calendar

Go to sccpss.com. The district posts the calendar as a PDF, usually under the district or parents sections, and promotes it on its Back to School Hub in the summer. The Board of Education typically adopts the following year’s calendar in the winter or spring.

Individual schools publish supplemental calendars for open houses, concerts, athletics, picture days, and parent events. High schools especially post athletic schedules separately.

Families comparing how other Georgia districts shape their calendars may find it useful to read the Chatham County Schools calendar next to the Charlton County Schools calendar. Both are in southeast Georgia, but Chatham is an urban coastal district built around Savannah, while Charlton is a small rural system near the Okefenokee Swamp, and the contrast shows how the same state rules play out in very different communities.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Teachers report before students return in August for pre-planning days, and the calendar also includes planning and professional learning days during the year when students are out. Some days are early release days when students leave school early so teachers can have training or conferences.

SCCPSS announces schedule changes through school messages, the parent notification system, social media, and the district website. In a district of this size, families with children at several schools should check each school’s communications. Georgia sets professional learning expectations for educators, and SCCPSS places those requirements on the calendar’s non-student days.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Chatham County’s main emergency risks are hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, and storm surge, along with occasional severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings, and rare freezing weather. The district has closed schools ahead of past storms, including Hurricane Matthew in 2016, when the coast was under evacuation orders.

The superintendent makes closure decisions in consultation with the Chatham Emergency Management Agency, county and city officials, and transportation staff. When a mandatory evacuation is ordered for coastal areas, schools typically close in advance, sometimes for several days, and families are urged to follow county evacuation zone guidance. After a storm, the district may stay closed for damage assessment, power outages, or flooded roads.

Closures and delays are announced through:

• The SCCPSS website and social media accounts
• The district’s automated call, text, and email system
• Savannah television stations WTOC (CBS 11), WSAV (NBC 3), and WJCL (ABC 22)
• The Savannah Morning News and local radio

Make sure your contact information is current with your child’s school. Lost days can be recovered through adjustments to the calendar, and the board decides how to make them up.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams for high school students happen in the last week or two of the school year. Commencement ceremonies for SCCPSS high schools are generally held in late May, with each school announcing its own date, time, and venue. Elementary and middle schools hold awards days and promotion ceremonies close to the final days of school.

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

Back-to-School and Registration Information

New families should start on sccpss.com and the district’s Back to School Hub, which explains registration and posts updates before the school year begins. Documents typically needed include proof of residency in Chatham County, the child’s birth certificate, a Georgia certificate of immunization, and a parent or guardian ID. Registration may be started online and completed at the school or district office.

Because Chatham is a large district, school assignments depend on attendance zones, so confirm your zoned school before enrolling. Supply lists are posted by individual schools over the summer, and open houses or meet-the-teacher events usually take place just before the August start.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Most students follow the main district calendar, but several programs may differ:

• Magnet and specialty programs: SCCPSS offers specialty and arts-focused programs, and these generally follow the district calendar while adding their own performances and events.
• Dual enrollment: High school students can take college courses through Georgia’s dual enrollment program with local institutions such as Savannah Technical College, and college calendars do not always match K-12 dates.
• Pre-K: Georgia Pre-K is state-funded and may follow slightly different schedules.
• Alternative and virtual learning: The district offers alternative programs and virtual options, so ask your school counselor about eligibility and calendars.
• Charter schools: Charter schools in the county may set their own calendars.

There are no year-round schools in the district’s traditional program, but summer learning offerings may be available.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school sports in Chatham County fall under the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), which sets seasons, eligibility, and playoffs separately from the academic calendar. Football runs in the fall, basketball and wrestling in the winter, and baseball, softball, soccer, track, and tennis in the spring. Coastal schools also see weather affect schedules, with games postponed for storms.

Practices and games can occur during school breaks, and playoff periods can overlap with exams. Check team and school athletic pages for current schedules.

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

The Georgia Department of Education and the State Board of Education set the 180-day requirement and minimum instructional time, and local boards decide start dates, breaks, and planning days within those limits. That is why SCCPSS can start in early August while other Georgia districts choose different dates.

The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education decides how to meet state requirements and handle storm-related lost days. If the district loses significant time to a hurricane, it can adjust the calendar and, in extraordinary cases, work with the state on flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Chatham County, Georgia?
For 2026–2027, students return on Monday, August 3, 2026, according to WTOC. Confirm on sccpss.com.

When does school get out for summer in Chatham County?
A secondary calendar source lists Friday, May 21, 2027, but check the district’s official PDF.

How many days are in a school year in Chatham County?
Georgia requires 180 instructional days, and SCCPSS plans its calendar to meet that.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Chatham County?
Check the SCCPSS website, social media, and notification messages, and watch WTOC, WSAV, or WJCL.

What is the spring break schedule for Chatham County schools?
Spring break usually falls in late March or early April. Confirm the exact week on the adopted calendar.

How do I enroll my child in Chatham County schools?
Start at sccpss.com. Bring proof of residency, a birth certificate, and immunization records.

Are there any year-round schools in Chatham County?
SCCPSS follows a traditional calendar, so there are no year-round schools in the standard program.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Chatham County?
Contact your child’s school or the district’s central office at 208 Bull Street in Savannah.