Teller County Colorado Schools Calendar

Two public school districts serve the roughly 3,000 students who live in Teller County, Colorado, a mountain county west of Colorado Springs where elevation, snow, and long bus routes shape the school year as much as the calendar itself. Woodland Park School District RE-2 handles the larger share of students along the Highway 24 corridor, while Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 serves the historic gold-mining communities on the south side of the county. Because the two districts adopt their calendars separately, families in Teller County often find that start dates, breaks, and even the length of the school week do not line up exactly.

School District Structure in Teller County

Colorado organizes public education by school district rather than by county, and Teller County is a clear example of how that works in practice. There is no single county school board. Instead, two independent districts, each governed by its own elected Board of Education, make decisions about calendars, budgets, and staffing.

Woodland Park School District RE-2 serves Woodland Park, Divide, Florissant, and surrounding unincorporated areas. It operates several elementary schools, Woodland Park Middle School, and Woodland Park High School, and it is also home to Merit Academy, a public charter school. The district is suburban-mountain in character: many families commute to Colorado Springs for work, and the district’s calendar tends to reflect that commuter rhythm.

Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 serves Cripple Creek, the county seat, and Victor. It is a small, rural district with a few hundred students, and its smaller size gives it more flexibility in how it builds a calendar, including decisions about the weekly schedule. Families should confirm the current weekly schedule directly with the district rather than assume it matches Woodland Park.

Each district’s Board of Education adopts the calendar in a public meeting, usually as part of a regular monthly meeting schedule. Agendas and meeting dates are posted on each district’s website, and calendar votes are open to public comment.

Academic Calendar Structure

Both Teller County districts generally follow a traditional academic year that begins in mid-August and ends in late May, though the exact first and last days change every year and are set by each board. Because the 2026-27 school year is already underway, parents reading this in the fall can find the adopted dates on the district website. For future years, the draft calendar is typically discussed in winter and formally adopted in the spring, so spring is the best time to check.

Colorado districts commonly divide the year into two semesters, with the first semester ending around the winter break in December and the second semester running from January through May. Elementary schools often report progress by trimester or semester, while the high school uses semester grades with progress reports in between. Check each school’s handbook for its grading period dates.

Colorado law requires districts to provide 160 days of instruction or the equivalent in hours. The state sets minimum hours of 1,080 for secondary students, 990 for elementary students, and 900 for full-day kindergarten. Because the requirement can be met through hours, a district can lengthen its school day and shorten its week and still comply. That flexibility is why some rural Colorado districts operate on four-day schedules, and it is worth confirming with each Teller County district how it structures the week.

School day start and end times differ by building. Elementary, middle, and high school bell schedules are set school by school, and mountain bus routes in Divide, Florissant, and the Cripple Creek area can run long, so transportation times are worth checking at the start of the year.

School Holidays and Breaks

Teller County schools observe the standard set of breaks, with dates that shift annually:

• Labor Day in early September
• A fall break or long weekend in October in some years, depending on the district’s calendar
• Thanksgiving break, usually the full week or the last half of the week
• Winter break, typically about two weeks spanning Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January
• Presidents’ Day in February, sometimes paired with a no-school day
• Spring break, commonly in mid to late March
• Memorial Day in late May

Exact dates change each year, and the board-adopted calendar on the official district site is the only reliable source. Neither district’s break schedule should be assumed to match the other, and neither should be assumed to match Colorado Springs-area districts.

Calendars Across Colorado Mountain Counties

Families who relocate between mountain communities often ask how calendars compare. The Summit County schools calendar, run by Summit School District RE-1 in Breckenridge, Frisco, and Silverthorne, is built around a ski-season economy, while the Teller County schools calendar follows the commuter and rural patterns of the Pikes Peak region. Both are shaped by altitude and winter weather, but they are adopted by entirely different boards, so a parent comparing the two will see differences in start dates, break lengths, and professional development days.

How to Find the Official Teller County School Calendar

The adopted calendar lives on each district’s website. For Woodland Park families, that means the Woodland Park School District RE-2 site; for Cripple Creek and Victor families, the Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 site. Look under sections labeled District, Parents, Families, or Community, where a PDF of the board-approved calendar is usually posted. Most calendars are adopted at a spring Board of Education meeting for the following school year, so the new year’s PDF typically appears by late spring or early summer.

Individual schools often maintain supplemental calendars for concerts, parent-teacher conferences, athletic events, and activities, and these can include dates that do not appear on the main district calendar. Subscribing to a school’s calendar feed or newsletter helps catch changes.

Early Release Days, Teacher Workdays, and Professional Development

Students do not attend on every day the teachers work. Teachers in both districts report several days before the first day of school for planning and training, and some days during the year are set aside for professional development, parent-teacher conferences, or end-of-term grading. Some districts also use scheduled early release days to give staff collaboration time. Colorado requires certain trainings for educators, such as those related to safety and student well-being, and districts often schedule these on non-student days.

Families are usually informed of early release days through the school calendar, newsletters, and automated messaging, so make sure your contact details are current in the district’s parent portal. Childcare on these days is a recurring challenge for working parents in Teller County, so it helps to scan the calendar early in the year and mark them.

Emergency Closures and Weather Days

Weather is the main reason for unplanned closures in Teller County. Woodland Park sits at about 8,500 feet along Ute Pass, and Highway 24 and Highway 67 can become difficult during snowstorms, so superintendents weigh road conditions across a wide area, including buses that travel from Divide and Florissant. Cripple Creek and Victor face similar conditions on Highway 67. The superintendent of each district makes closure and delay decisions, often in the early morning after checking with road crews and transportation staff. Two-hour delays are common in the mountains when roads need time to clear.

Colorado does not require districts to schedule makeup days for every closure as long as the instructional-hour requirement is met, so districts may absorb a few snow days within their calendar or adjust hours. Check each district’s policy for specifics.

Announcements typically go out through the district’s automated call, text, and email notification system, the district website, and social media. Colorado Springs television stations such as KKTV, KRDO, and KOAA carry closure lists, and local outlets like the Pikes Peak Courier cover community news. Wildfire is a second risk in Teller County, and evacuations or smoke can also disrupt school, with updates coming through the same channels and from county emergency management.

Graduation and End-of-Year Schedule

Final exams at the high school typically fall in the last week or so of the school year in May. Woodland Park High School and Cripple Creek-Victor Jr/Sr High School hold their own graduation ceremonies in late May, with each school selecting its venue and time. Elementary and middle schools often hold promotion or recognition events in the final week. Report cards are distributed at the end of each term, and families can usually check grades through the district’s online student information portal; contact your school office for login help.

Back-to-School and Registration Information

Enrollment and re-enrollment generally open in the spring or early summer for the next school year. New families typically need to provide proof of residency, a birth certificate or other proof of age, and immunization records or a valid exemption as allowed under Colorado law. Registration is usually completed through the district’s online portal with follow-up through the school office or district office. Contact the district directly for the current process and required documents.

Supply lists are usually posted on individual school pages in July or early August. Many schools hold open houses, orientation nights, or meet-the-teacher events in the days before the first day of school, and these are listed on school calendars.

Special Programs and Their Calendar Implications

Merit Academy, the charter school in Woodland Park, may have its own calendar that differs from the district’s. Early childhood and preschool programs, including those funded through the Colorado Preschool Program, may follow different schedules or half-day structures. High school students can take college courses through concurrent enrollment arrangements with area colleges, and college calendars do not always match the high school’s, which can affect holiday weeks and exam dates. Families interested in online or alternative options should ask each district about current offerings and how their schedules work.

Athletics and Extracurricular Calendar Context

High school athletics and activities in Colorado are governed by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA). Season start dates, practice windows, and postseason tournaments are set by CHSAA and are separate from, but connected to, the academic calendar. Fall sports begin practicing before school starts, and postseason play can overlap with exam periods and breaks. Teller County teams often travel long distances for games, so schedules can affect school-day attendance.

State-Level Calendar Requirements and How Colorado Law Governs Teller County

The Colorado Department of Education oversees the state’s school calendar requirements, but local boards of education control calendar design. The state requires 160 instructional days or an equivalent number of hours, with the hours minimums listed above, and Teller County’s two boards decide how to meet that standard. That is why a district can choose where to place breaks, whether to include early release time, and how to structure the weekly schedule, as long as they meet the required instructional time.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Teller County, Colorado? Both districts typically start in mid-August, but each board sets its own first day. Check the adopted calendar on the Woodland Park RE-2 or Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1 website.

When does school get out for summer in Teller County? Most years the last day falls in late May. The exact date is on the adopted calendar and can shift if weather closures have affected the schedule.

How many days are in a school year in Teller County? Colorado requires 160 days or the equivalent in instructional hours. The number of days a district uses can vary with its hours and weekly schedule.

How do I find out if school is cancelled today in Teller County? Watch for district text, call, and email alerts, check the district website and social media, and tune to Colorado Springs stations such as KKTV, KRDO, and KOAA.

What is the spring break schedule for Teller County schools? Spring break usually falls in mid to late March, but it is set by each district’s calendar, so confirm the dates for your child’s district.

How do I enroll my child in Teller County schools? Start with the district’s online registration, then contact the school or district office. You will usually need proof of residency, proof of age, and immunization records or an exemption.

Are there any year-round schools in Teller County? Teller County’s public schools generally follow a traditional August-to-May calendar rather than a year-round one. Ask the district about any alternative calendars.

Who do I contact about school calendar questions in Teller County? Contact the district office for Woodland Park School District RE-2 or Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1, or your child’s school office. Board of Education agendas also list when calendar items will be discussed.