Wake County offers three major calendar options for families:
Traditional Schools
It’s all in the name. Traditional schools follow the classic August-June timeline that is generally in line with what’s happening in the rest of the country. Take a peek at a traditional calendar by scrolling down to the “Traditional Calendar” heading on the WCPSS School Calendars page.
A traditional calendar school has a long summer vacation followed by a 10 month school year. Within the 10 month school year you can expect a Thanksgiving break in the fall, Winter Break in late December, and a Spring Break around Easter. There are additional occasional days off for national holidays or teacher workdays.
All WCPSS high schools are on a traditional calendar, with the exception of Southeast Raleigh High School which runs on a modified calendar. Many elementary and middle schools are also on a traditional calendar.
Reasons why some families prefer a traditional school calendar include:
- Younger students are on the same schedule as their high school siblings.
- Working parents do not need to arrange child care as frequently.
- A longer break during the transition between grade levels.
- A better fit for kids who have difficulty with transitions.
- Middle school athletes are always in school for their sports season.
Year-Round Schools
Year-round schools are a new concept for lots of families moving to the area. Take a peek at a year-round calendar by scrolling down to the “Year-Round Calendar” heading on the WCPSS school calendars page.
A year-round school operates all 12 months of the year. A student in a year-round school is placed on one of four tracks. Generally there is a 9 week stretch of school followed by a 3 week “track out.” Year-round schools also have a winter break in late December and a week off in July that usually falls the week of Independence Day.
If you register before the school year starts, you will be asked your preferences of what track you’d like your child to be on. WCPSS takes parent preferences into consideration but will ultimately assign your child a track based on space. If you are enrolling after the start of the school year, you may have fewer options if your desired track is already full.
Reasons why some families prefer a year round school calendar include:
- Students and teachers may feel less burn out due to more frequent breaks during the year.
- Less summer loss of learning because breaks are shorter.
- Families can take vacations during less expensive, less crowded travel seasons.
Keep in mind:
- You might not be placed on your preferred track.
- Year-round students may be on a different schedule than their high school siblings.
- Middle school athletes still need to attend sports practices during track outs.
Modified Calendar Schools
A handful of Wake County schools operate on a modified calendar. These school calendars feel like a hybrid between traditional and year-round. They operate from late July to late May and offer all students the same two week “track outs” in the fall and the spring. Additionally, these students also have a winter break in late December. You can see the modified school calendar by scrolling down to the “Modified Calendar” heading on the WCPSS School Calendars page.
These are the schools currently following a modified calendar schedule:
- Southeast Raleigh High School
- Centennial Middle
- Moore Square Middle
- Carver Elementary
- Partnership Elementary
- East Garner Elementary
- East Wake Middle
You said these are the “major” calendar options. Are there more?
Yep. It wouldn’t be Wake County without a million options. Explore the WCPSS School Calendars page for information on the:
- Early College Calendars (Yes, plural. There are three.)
- Barwell Road Elementary and Walnut Creek Elementary calendar
- Fox Road Elementary Calendar
- Carroll Middle, East Garner Middle, and East Millbrook Middle schools calendar
Have questions or feedback on WCPSS calendar options? Stop by the comments section!
Want to hop back to my basic overview of WCPSS schools? Click here.
West Wake Life 