• How does the calendar get developed?
    Each year, an internal working committee of central office staff draft a school-year calendar reflecting the number of school days, teacher workdays, holidays and professional development days. The rules used to guide the development of the calendar are set by the Pennsylvania State Legislature (1949 Act 14 Article XV), the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education (Policy 902) and the work-year terms outlined in the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT) Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article 53). The calendars meet the following requirements and laws:

    When developing the school calendar, the District also takes into account the following additional considerations:

    • Instructional days are scheduled with an academic focus so that students and teachers are in school for unbroken periods of instruction time.
    • Eight (8) half-days/early dismissals are set aside for school and district-level professional development time.
    • Breaks are scheduled so that teachers and students have consecutive days off in the winter and spring.
    • Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, News Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day and Memorial Day are school holidays.
    • The Monday after Thanksgiving and the Monday after Easter are school-only vacation days.

    The draft calendar is reviewed by the Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet, as well as the Executive Committee of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. Since 2017, school-year calendar options have been placed online to allow students, families, staff and the Pittsburgh community to vote on the option that they prefer. Once voting closes, the calendar is presented to the Board of Directors for approval. The approved calendar is communicated with families and staff on the District’s website and in a mailing. A staff-focused calendar is also developed and distributed prior to the end of the school year that includes employee pay dates. Staff and families also receive a 12-month flip calendar in the mail each August.

District News

  • The Parks Family

    The Parks Family

    Pamela Parks says it takes a team to ensure that students succeed in school. As Principal at Pittsburgh Lincoln, she encourages families not only to communicate with their child’s teacher regularly, but to also let their children know that everyone is looking out for their best interests, one way to do that is through Talking Points. She holds herself to the same standards.

    Comments (-1)
  • The Childs-Peterson Family:

    The Childs-Peterson Family

    After the pandemic, it was difficult to re-build a strong school-to-home community. Pittsburgh Woolslair parent Erin Childs took that as a challenge. With the support of teachers and administrators, she re-started the Woolslair PTO and began a host of activities, including family social nights that feature crafts, movies, bingo and more.

    Comments (-1)

Downloadable Calendars

  • 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR KEY DATES
  • First Day 2023-2024
  • Students- All Grades except Kindergarten August 28
  • Kindergarten Students August 31
  • SDSS and 11-month employees August 10
  • FSS August 15
  • 10.5-Month Employees August 17
  • Teachers August 22
  • Clerical Days
  • August 23, August 25, January 25, June 13, June 14
  • School Only Vacation Days
  • September 25- Yom Kippur, November 27, December 27-29- Winter Break, March 25-28- Spring Break, April 10- Ed al-Fitr, April 23-Election Day
  • Professional Development Days
  • August 22, August 24, September 29, October 27, November 7, November 17, December 15, January 26, February 2, February 16, March 1, March 15
  • All PPS Vacation Days
  • September 4- Labor Day, November 10- Veteran's Day, November 23-24-Thanksgiving, December 25-26 - Winter Break, January 1-2 Winter Break, January 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, March 29- Spring Break, May 27- Memorial Day, June 19th- Junteenth, July 4- Independence Day
  • District Last Day
  • Students June 12
  • Teachers June 14
  • FSS and 10.5-month employees June 24
  • SDSS and 11-month employees June 28