Summer break is almost over, and Florida students will be back in the classroom soon for the 2026-27 school year.
Thirty-eight of Florida's 67 counties will start classes on Monday, Aug. 10, the earliest date allowed by state law. The remaining districts will begin later that same week.
If you're still shopping for school supplies, there's still time to save. Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday runs through Aug. 20, giving families extra time to pick up those last-minute essentials tax-free.
And while Florida schools are known for starting early, you might be surprised to learn that some students elsewhere in the U.S. head back to class even sooner.
Amazon helps students, parents with school prep
The first day of school for Duval County Public Schools is Monday, August 10, 2026.
The first day of school for students in the St. Johns County School District is Monday, August 10, 2026.
The first day of school for students in Nassau County School District is Monday, August 10, 2026.
The first day of school for Clay County Schools is Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Florida's 2026 back-to-school sales tax holiday for school supplies will run July 20 through Aug. 20.
The earliest start date for Florida schools is Aug. 10, according to Florida Statute 1001.42.
To get in the number of required days in the first semester and working around holidays, school districts plan to start the school year in early August.
In 2026, Aug. 10 falls on a Monday.
Districts in Florida must have at least 180 school days for students.
Districts try to get roughly 90 instructional days in each semester and aim to finish the first semester before winter break, the St. Johns County School District said.
"In order to meet the overwhelming response from the community to end the first semester before the winter holiday and to meet the Florida Statute requiring 67.5 hours per semester, the start date must occur close to the beginning of August," the St. Johns County School District said.
"In addition, we need to align with local college schedules for students taking dual enrollment classes."
Thirty-eight of Florida's 67 counties will start the 2026-2027 school year on the earliest possible date, Monday, Aug. 10. The latest start date in Florida — for three counties — is Thursday, Aug. 13.
See breakdown by county on when the 2026-2027 Florida school year will start:
Washington: Wednesday, Aug. 12
Special note: Links to school calendars often change. Here's a state list of homepages for each Florida school district.
Florida's 2026 back-to-school sales tax holiday for school supplies, including clothing and computers, runs from July 20 through Aug. 20.
The following items will be tax exempt from July 20-Aug. 20:
Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use having a sales price of $1,500 or less
Specific personal computer-related accessories
Wallets and bags having a sales price of $100 or less
School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item
Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less
Clothing, footwear, and accessories having a sales price of $100 or less
Go to floridarevenue.com for a complete list of all items included in the sales tax holiday, along with exceptions.
The decision on what days schools should be closed is made by individual school districts.
Florida school districts develop their academic calendars with input from a variety of sources, including staff, families and calendar committees.
The final decision is made by each county's school board.
FAST testing during the 2026-2027 school year will be:
April 12-May 28, 2027 FAST PM3
Grades K–2 FAST reading and mathematics
Algebra 1, geometry, biology 1, civics, U.S. history
Doris Alvarez is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for The Florida Times-Union. You can get all of Jacksonville's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing and News Alerts newsletters at jacksonville.com/newsletter
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: When does school start in Jacksonville? See back-to-school dates