Dubois County Indiana Schools Calendar

Four public school corporations share Dubois County in southwestern Indiana, serving somewhere around 7,000 to 8,000 students from Jasper, Huntingburg, Ferdinand, and the small community of Dubois. Because each corporation adopts its own calendar, start dates and break weeks do not always match from one end of the county to the other. Families with children in more than one corporation, or who are weighing a move between towns, will want to look at each district’s dates separately.

School District Structure in Dubois County

Indiana calls its districts “school corporations,” and Dubois County has four of them, each with its own elected board and superintendent. The county does not run a single school system, so there is no countywide calendar to look up.

• Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools serves the city of Jasper, the county seat, and is the largest corporation. Its schools include Jasper Middle School and Jasper High School.
• Southwest Dubois County School Corporation serves the Huntingburg area, including Huntingburg Elementary School, and is home to Southridge High School.
• Southeast Dubois County School Corporation serves the Ferdinand area and operates Forest Park Junior-Senior High School along with its elementary schools.
• Northeast Dubois County School Corporation is the smallest, serving the Dubois area in the northeast corner of the county with an elementary school, an intermediate school, and a combined junior-senior high school.

Dubois County is largely rural and small-town, with Jasper acting as the commercial hub. That mix matters for the school calendar. Northeast Dubois and Southeast Dubois draw students from farms and small communities, so bus routes are long and weather decisions can differ from the city. Jasper and Huntingburg have more compact attendance areas.

Many families in the county also choose parochial schools, since the area has a strong Catholic tradition. Those schools set their own calendars, which often differ from the public corporations around them.

Academic Calendar Structure

Indiana has no statewide opening date, and Dubois County corporations typically start in early to mid-August. Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools has listed a first student day of August 11, 2026 for the current year, preceded by a teacher day on August 10, and a final day of classes on May 27, 2027. Its calendar also lists a snow make-up day on May 28, 2027, the same day as a graduation ceremony. Treat these as published summaries and confirm them on the corporation’s website, since calendars are revised from time to time.

Most schools in the county divide the year into two semesters, with the first ending around the winter break and the second finishing in late May. Quarters are commonly used for grade reporting in the middle and high schools, and Greater Jasper’s calendar identifies the end of the fourth quarter and second semester together. Other corporations may report differently at the elementary level, so check your child’s handbook.

Typical bell schedules in Dubois County put elementary schools in session from about 8:00 a.m. to mid-afternoon, middle schools in a similar window, and high schools starting between about 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. Actual times differ by building and by year, so rely on your school’s posted schedule.

School Holidays and Breaks

Dubois County schools observe a familiar set of breaks, though each corporation chooses its own weeks.

• Labor Day: the first Monday of September. Greater Jasper lists September 7, 2026.
• Fall Break: typically a few days in October, though some corporations do not take a full week.
• Thanksgiving Break: commonly Wednesday through Friday. Greater Jasper lists November 25 through 27, 2026.
• Winter Break: usually about two weeks spanning Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: the third Monday of January, observed on January 18 in 2027.
• Presidents’ Day: often observed as a single day off, though some corporations fold it into other breaks.
• Spring Break: normally one week in late March or early April.
• Memorial Day: the last Monday of May, close to the end of the school year.

Because Indiana does not link spring break to Easter by statute, the weeks can vary by corporation. Dubois County’s strong Catholic and Lenten traditions mean families sometimes plan around Holy Week, so look closely at how each district handles the days around Easter. Exact dates change every year, so use the corporation’s official calendar.

How to Find the Official Dubois County School Calendar

Start by confirming which corporation serves your address. Your child’s school or the corporation’s central office can tell you if you are unsure, especially if you live near a boundary such as the line between Jasper and Southwest Dubois.

Each corporation posts its adopted calendar on its own website. Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools publishes at gjcs.k12.in.us, and the other three corporations maintain their own sites. Look under menus labeled “Calendar,” “Parents,” “Community,” or “District” for a PDF. Boards generally adopt the following year’s calendar during the winter or spring, and revised versions sometimes appear later, so check the date on any file you download.

Individual schools also publish their own calendars for sports, concerts, testing windows, and parent events. Those supplement the district calendar rather than replace it.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Teachers typically return several days before students. Greater Jasper, for example, lists a teacher day immediately before its first student day. Throughout the year, corporations schedule professional development days when students stay home, as well as occasional early dismissals for staff training.

Indiana expects teachers to complete professional growth activities, but state law leaves the scheduling to local boards. That is why the number of non-student days varies across the four corporations. Families usually hear about early release days through school newsletters, the corporation’s website, mobile apps, email, or automated phone and text messages.

Families who want to compare how another corner of Indiana handles those scheduling choices can look at the delaware county schools calendar next to the dubois county schools calendar, which shows how start dates and breaks differ between a multi-corporation county in the east-central part of the state and one in the southwest.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Winter weather in southern Indiana is less predictable than in the northern part of the state. Dubois County can go several weeks without a serious storm and then get hit by ice, freezing rain, or a heavy snowfall that makes hilly county roads dangerous. Flooding, severe storms, and tornado warnings can also disrupt the school day. Each superintendent decides whether to close or delay, typically after early-morning road checks with county highway crews and neighboring districts.

Rural corporations like Northeast Dubois and Southeast Dubois sometimes face harder choices than Jasper, because their buses cover long stretches of county road where ice lingers. Indiana lets corporations use approved eLearning days, so a closure does not always have to be made up in June. Corporations without enough eLearning days, or those that run past their allowance, add make-up days at the end of the year, which is why Greater Jasper’s calendar builds in a late-May snow make-up day.

Families can find closure information through:

• The corporation’s automated call, text, and email system
• School websites and official social media accounts
• Evansville-area television stations that cover Dubois County, including WFIE, WEHT, and WTVW
• Local radio such as WJTS in Jasper, and the Dubois County Herald website

Sign up for your own corporation’s alert system early in the year, because broadcast lists can trail the official announcement.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams for high school students typically take place in the last week or so of the second semester, and graduation follows in late May or very early June. Several corporations hold ceremonies in their own gymnasiums or stadiums, and Jasper’s larger graduating classes have a long history of using area facilities. Confirm the date, time, and ticket rules with the school, since they are often announced a few months ahead.

Elementary and middle schools mark the end of the year with awards programs, promotion ceremonies, and field days. Report cards are issued at the end of each grading period, and most corporations offer an online parent portal for grades and attendance.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Families enroll with the corporation that serves their address. Most Dubois County corporations accept registration online and also help families in person at the central office or school. You will generally need a birth certificate or other proof of age, proof of residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill, and an immunization record.

Supply lists are usually posted on school websites in July, and open houses or meet-the-teacher nights often take place in the days before school starts. Kindergarten registration typically opens in the spring. Check each corporation’s calendar for exact dates, because they are not standardized across the county.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Several programs in the county can follow a different rhythm from the home school.

• Career and technical education: Students from across the county may attend a shared career center, and its schedule can influence bus times and class periods for participating juniors and seniors.
• Dual credit and college programs: Courses with a college partner, such as Vincennes University’s Jasper campus, can follow college dates rather than the high school semester.
• Pre-K and early childhood: Some programs start later or follow a different weekly schedule.
• Alternative and virtual options: These often set their own start dates and attendance rules, so request the calendar in writing.
• Parochial schools: Catholic and other private schools in the county use their own calendars, which can leave families with children in different school systems juggling different break weeks.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics in Dubois County fall under the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), which sets season start dates, tournament schedules, and eligibility rules. Fall practices usually begin in late July or early August, sometimes before classes start. Winter sports run through the holiday break, so games and practices can fall on days when classrooms are closed. Local conference schedules are posted by each school’s athletic department.

State-Level Calendar Requirements and How Indiana Law Governs Dubois County

Indiana requires school corporations to provide at least 180 student instructional days per year, along with minimum instructional time requirements set by state law. The Indiana Department of Education oversees compliance, approves eLearning plans, and handles waiver requests, while the State Board of Education sets broader policy.

Within those rules, the four Dubois County boards decide their own start and end dates, break weeks, and professional development days. That local control explains why Greater Jasper, Southwest Dubois, Southeast Dubois, and Northeast Dubois can each have a slightly different calendar, and why some corporations schedule extra days as a weather cushion.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Dubois County, Indiana?
Early to mid-August is typical. Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools has listed August 11, 2026 as its first student day, and the other corporations post their own dates.

When does school get out for summer in Dubois County?
Most schools finish in late May. Greater Jasper lists May 27, 2027 as the end of its second semester, with a snow make-up day available the next day.

How many days are in a school year in Dubois County?
Indiana requires 180 student instructional days, and corporations may add a few for weather.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Dubois County?
Check your corporation’s alert system, website, and social media. Evansville television stations, WJTS radio, and the Dubois County Herald also report closures and delays.

What is the spring break schedule for Dubois County schools?
Spring break is usually one week in late March or early April, but the exact week depends on the corporation.

How do I enroll my child in Dubois County schools?
Contact the corporation that serves your address. Bring a birth certificate, proof of residency, and immunization records, and ask about online registration.

Are there any year-round schools in Dubois County?
The public corporations generally follow a traditional August-to-May calendar. Ask the corporation or program directly if you are looking for an alternative schedule.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Dubois County?
Call your child’s school office or the central office of your corporation. The corporation website is the most reliable source for the board-adopted calendar.