Clayton starts early, on Monday, Aug 3, and finishes on Wednesday, May 26, before Memorial Day. Four days are virtual learning days for students (ELBC days): Aug 24, Sept 8, Nov 3 (Election Day) and Mar 15. Students log in from home and teachers use them for planning, so they count as school days. There’s a full-week fall break (Oct 12-16). The district’s “Winter Break” is a separate week in February (Feb 15-19), and the December break is called “Semester Break”. Jan 4 is a professional learning day with no students, so students return Tuesday, Jan 5.

Thanksgiving break is the full week of Monday, November 23 through Friday, November 27, 2026, and students are back Monday, November 30. That’s nine days in a row with the weekends. Just before it, Tuesday, November 3 is a virtual day for Election Day, so students learn from home that week. If you’re staying in town, Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow is a free place to walk off the turkey, and Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium is about 30 minutes up the road if you want a rainy-day option.

The December break runs from Monday, December 21 through Friday, January 1, and the district calls it Semester Break. Monday, January 4 is a professional learning day with no students, so kids go back on Tuesday, January 5. That’s a long stretch, over two weeks, so it’s a good window for a road trip. Closer to home, you can hit holiday lights around metro Atlanta, and Stone Mountain is about 40 minutes away. One thing that trips people up: Clayton’s own “Winter Break” is a separate week in February (see below).

Spring break is Monday, April 5 through Friday, April 9, 2027, and students return Monday, April 12. With the weekends, that’s nine days at home. It’s the week after Easter, so keep that in mind if you were planning around the holiday. Also check March 15, which is a virtual learning day. For a day trip, the Georgia State Archives in Morrow and the Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro’s historic depot are easy, low-cost options.

Clayton has a full week of fall break, Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16, 2026. That’s nine days off with the weekends, which is longer than most districts in Georgia. It’s perfect for the north Georgia mountains, where the fall color usually peaks in mid to late October (the towns of Helen and Blue Ridge are popular, about two hours away). Another quick option is apple picking in Ellijay.

The last day of school is Wednesday, May 26, 2027, and Memorial Day, May 31, falls just after it. Teachers have post-planning on May 27-28, but there’s no school for students. School ends early compared with many other states, so summer camps and jobs can start in late May. Georgia heat arrives early, so water days at Lake Spivey Park or a Savannah or Tybee Island beach trip (about four hours away) are popular plans.