DLR-area school calendars

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

It seems like I see so many posts that say that people believe or have been told that DLR-area schools are back in session by the second week of August. This could not possibly be farther from the truth, and I really wonder where that information is coming from. I decided to do a little digging (I know, probably too late for vacation planning in 2011) but to give you an idea, here's what things normally look like. (this is not including private schools or year-round schedules)

School district, back to school date

Orange County:
Anaheim City Aug. 30
Anaheim Union High Aug. 29
Brea-Olinda Aug. 31
Buena Park Sep. 1
Capistrano Unified Sep. 7
Centralia Aug. 31
Cypress Aug. 29
Fountain Valley Sep. 7
Fullerton Aug. 29 (k-6) 30 (7-8)
Fullerton High Aug. 29
Garden Grove Sep. 8
Huntington Beach elementary Sep. 6
Huntington Beach high Aug. 31
Irvine Unified Sep. 8
Laguna Beach Unified Sep. 6
La Habra Aug. 29
Los Alamitos Aug. 31
Magnolia (Anaheim) Aug. 29
Newport-Mesa Sep. 6
Ocean View Sep. 7
Orange Unified Aug. 25
Placentia-Yorba Linda Sep. 6
Saddleback Valley Sep. 7
Santa Ana Aug. 24
Savanna Aug. 29
Tustin Sep. 1
Westminster Sep. 7

Large school districts near Orange County:
Los Angeles Unified Sep. 7
Long Beach Unified Sep. 7
Riverside Unified Aug. 29

So that is by no means a comprehensive list of area school districts and does not include private schools or year-round schedules (though the majority of SoCal students are on traditional, not year-round schedules). However, that is a look at the general school calendar in the area and it is unusual to find a SoCal school that goes outside of those dates.

In other words, with only two exceptions, area schools start between Aug. 29 and Sept. 7, and that is very typical for the majority of Southern California. So if you're trying to plan your vacation around SoCal school schedules, your safest bet is after the second week of September.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Wow, I'm so surprised that there are that many schools still starting in Sept. I wonder when they got out for the summer. Up here the schools have been creeping earlier and earlier in to Aug. As a teacher I go back the 2nd week of Aug and students go back the third week. We got out at the end of May. That's very interesting information. It looks like the last few weeks of Aug could be very busy at DLR. Thanks for looking that up.

 

[PatMcDuck]

OP, thanks for that information. I think it is WDW that is more impacted by kids returning to school by mid-August. I think the southern states go back early?

We are in NJ, and our kids rarely, and I mean almost never, go back to school before Labor Day. So, we often went to WDW in mid to late August, and the crowds were much lighter than mid-summer. A bonus, the DVC points needed for a reservation drop in mid-August. And the kids are in school until June 22-25 or so.

I am going to DL (D23 and parks) in mid August. I was glad i booked the touring days for the week before D23, not the week after. I read that the week after, from Aug 21 on, is very busy as the APs open back up for the locals.....

So, what works for WDW does not really work for DL, lesson learned!

 

[TLuvsD]

Generally, school gets out forthe summer around June16th or so...some districts the following week if they have more "off" days during the school year.

 

[specialks]

Up here in the Seattle area we start right after labor day (sept 7/8 ish) and don't get out until mid June. This year we actually had to go until June 23rd because of snow days.

 

[cyclenut]

I am making a generalization here that I think should be obvious so I appoloize now if I am insulting anyone. I really don't mean to.

Given the great post by the OP, it isn't too difficult to figure out that most schools will get out in mid June.

Around here in SoCal there is not much of a need for "snow days" or other such contingencies. Most districts have roughly the same number of "non-student" days. The later a district starts, the later they will get out.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

I am making a generalization here that I think should be obvious so I appoloize now if I am insulting anyone. I really don't mean to.

Given the great post by the OP, it isn't too difficult to figure out that most schools will get out in mid June.

Around here in SoCal there is not much of a need for "snow days" or other such contingencies. Most districts have roughly the same number of "non-student" days. The later a district starts, the later they will get out.

Yep, mid-June is typical . My birthday is June 15th and I always got out of school right around there. I actually graduated high school on my birthday .

 

[PatMcDuck]

Here in NJ it extends to late June because of snow days and Jewish holidays.

 

[TeddiBarra]

Up here the schools have been creeping earlier and earlier in to Aug. As a teacher I go back the 2nd week of Aug and students go back the third week. We got out at the end of May. That's very interesting information. It looks like the last few weeks of Aug could be very busy at DLR. Thanks for looking that up.

Except it's always been this way, so this isn't a change. So, unless someone is specifically concerned about AP attendance of these kids % having changed alot over the past few years, this is, as it has always been, so crowd forecasting should still be accurate.

I would anticipate that this year would be heavier than last year, as was June, for the reasons of ST and LM, but I don't think it will be a huge change.

 

[starshine514]

Many kids here in Arizona go back second week of August. My cousins' kids in Kentucky usually start the first week of August. Here, we don't have snow days, so kids are out the third week of May. In Kentucky, it's sometime in June due to snow days.

So, there may be fewer kids vacationing there, but there could still be a lot of local kids (especially when they open back up to the SoCal APs). We're sneaking in a few days right before the AP lift; I'm crossing my fingers regarding crowds...

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Soooo my idea of going the 3-7th in the land may have been a good idea? WOOT

Is there anywhere to find when AP restrictions are lifted?

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I go back to school on August 30th.

 

[PinkBudgie]

One good reason to avoid DLR in early June would be the number of schools going there for an end of the year event. Not to mention, having to be aware of grad nights.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Crud, hadn't considered those two things. *sigh* Isn't grad night in DCA now?

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Nevermind. They're giving them park hoppers (good during the DAY too. ugh) Looks like only one of my dates will be effected. Whew.

 

[DisSarahK]

Up here in the Seattle area we start right after labor day (sept 7/8 ish) and don't get out until mid June. This year we actually had to go until June 23rd because of snow days.

We're also in the Seattle area and we go back on August 31st. I think most schools in the area go back between the very very end of August (30/31st) and September 7/8th--with a few outliers on either side. Most schools here end in mid-June, depending on snow days.

 

[5ne5chalmer5]

Thanks for the list! I got bad school summer information from Touringplans.com. It said most schools are finishing Summer break mid August. Hope they get that fixed, along with their Crowd Calendar.

 

[DisneyHeather]

Up here in Northern CA the schools are back in on August 15th and they will be out June 1st next year. I'm taking a trip June 2-9 in the hopes of getting there before the bulk of kids get out and needing to go before my sister goes into the military as it's my graduation present to her.

 

[mousefan5]

Any thoughts or information on Spring break? Is there many schools that have spring breaks and if so when? We usually don't have a spring break but this year we do and we are heading to Disneyland (March 8-18). This also includes some conference time.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

Any thoughts or information on Spring break? Is there many schools that have spring breaks and if so when? We usually don't have a spring break but this year we do and we are heading to Disneyland (March 8-18). This also includes some conference time.

It varies, but for most SoCal schools, spring break is either the week before Easter or the week after Easter. Those two weeks are almost always blocked out for SoCal APs. Since Easter is Apr. 8th, your early March plans should be fine as far as locals go.