Whether you're new to Savannah or a longtime Chatham County family, here's your complete guide to public school for the 2026-27 school year — dates, dismissal times, and the smaller details that make the first week of school go smoothly.
It's all one district: SCCPSS
Every public school in Savannah, plus Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth, the Islands, and the rest of Chatham County, falls under the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS). One calendar, one registration process, one set of policies, whether your child attends school downtown, in the Southside, or out toward Pooler.
Key dates for 2026-27
- First day of school: Monday, August 3, 2026
- Last day of school: Friday, May 21, 2027
- Labor Day: September 7, 2026 (no school)
- Fall Holiday: October 8-9, 2026 (staff planning day + fall holiday), plus Columbus Day, October 12
- Veterans Day: November 11, 2026 (no school)
- Thanksgiving Break: November 23-27, 2026
- Winter Break: December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027 (students return January 5, following a staff planning day on January 4)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 18, 2027 (no school)
- St. Patrick's Day Holiday: March 17, 2027 (no school)
- Spring Break: March 26 - April 2, 2027
- Memorial Day: May 31, 2027
- Juneteenth: June 18, 2027
A few extra details worth knowing: November 3, 2026 and February 12, 2027 are half-day remote learning days, meaning students learn from home rather than reporting to campus. February 15, 2027 is a staff planning day with no school for students. And if winter weather forces a closure, SCCPSS has designated make-up days built in for November 23-24, 2026 and March 29-30, 2027.
What time does school start and end?
This is where Savannah gets more specific than a lot of districts; bell times vary quite a bit school to school, not just by grade level. Here's the general pattern, based on the district's approved bell times:
School Type | Typical Hours |
|---|---|
Most Elementary Schools | 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Most K-8 Schools | 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. (varies by school) |
Most Middle Schools | 7:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. |
Most High Schools | 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
But there are real exceptions worth knowing if you're zoned for (or considering) a specific school:
- J.G. Smith Elementary runs 8:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., noticeably earlier than most other elementary schools.
- Godley Station (K-8) starts as early as 7:30 a.m. and dismisses at 2:30 p.m.
- New Hampstead K-8 runs 8:40 a.m. – 3:40 p.m.
- Georgetown and Rice Creek (K-8) run 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Charles Ellis Montessori, Garrison School for the Arts, Hesse, Isle of Hope, and Pulaski (K-8) all run 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
- Mercer Middle starts earlier than the other middle schools, at 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Savannah Arts Academy and Woodville-Tompkins run 7:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m., about 10 minutes later than most other high schools.
- Charter schools (Oglethorpe, Savannah Classical Academy, Susie King Taylor, Tybee Island Maritime Academy, Coastal Empire Montessori) each set their own hours separately from the district schedule.
Because the spread is wider here than in a lot of nearby districts, it's genuinely worth checking your specific school's page (or the district's Bell Times page) before you finalize a school choice or lock in childcare; a 90-minute difference in start time between two elementary schools a few miles apart isn't unusual.
A few smaller details parents appreciate knowing
- Bus routes can be tracked through the district's "Here Comes the Bus" tool once the school year starts; exact stop assignments are typically available shortly before the first day.
- School supply lists live on each individual school's website, not the district's main page, so check your specific school directly.
- PowerSchool is the parent portal used for grades, attendance, and enrollment; new families should set up access as soon as registration is complete.
- Breakfast windows are listed alongside bell times for each school (generally the 20 minutes before the first bell), which is handy to know if mornings are tight.
- Progress reports and report cards go out on a set nine-week schedule, the first progress report of the year lands September 11, 2026.
Bottom line
Wherever in Chatham County you land- downtown Savannah, the Islands, Pooler, or out toward West Chatham- your child is part of the same countywide system, starting August 3 and finishing up May 21. The real detail to nail down early is bell times, since they vary more here than in most nearby districts. If you're still house-hunting and want help factoring school zones and bell schedules into your search, we're happy to walk through it with you.
Dates and times reflect the official 2026-27 SCCPSS calendar and approved bell times as of publication. Always confirm specifics with your zoned school, as details can be updated by the district.
