Students and teachers at Ottawa’s largest school board will be heading back to class the day after Labour Day and wrap up the 2025-26 school year the last week of June.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will vote Tuesday on the proposed 2025-26 school year calendar. The minimum number of school days in a school year is 194, and three of those days must be dedicated as Professional Activity Days for provincial education priorities.
The proposed calendar says the first day of school will be Tuesday, Sept. 2, with the final day of school on June 26, 2026.
The Christmas/winter break will run from Dec. 22, 2025, to Jan. 2, 2026, and the March Break will run from March 16 to 20, 2026.
Students will also have a four-day weekend in February 2026, with a PA Day on Friday, Feb. 13 and then the Family Day holiday on Monday, Feb. 16.
Staff say the proposed Ottawa-Carleton District School Board calendar “does align” the holiday and March breaks with the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
The board has also aligned Professional Activity Days in September, November and February for both elementary and secondary school students.
“This is helpful to all staff from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in supporting student achievement and well-being and will be beneficial for families who may have students in both panels,” the report says.
Here are the key dates for the OCDSB in 2025-26:
Elementary
- Sept. 2, 2025: First day of school
- Sept. 29, 2025: PA Day (elementary and secondary school)
- Nov. 7, 2025: PA Day (elementary and secondary school)
- Nov. 28, 2025: PA Day for elementary schools
- Dec. 22, 2025-Jan. 2, 2026: Winter Break
- Jan. 23, 2026: PA Day for elementary schools
- Feb. 13, 2026: PA Day (elementary and secondary schools)
- March 16-20, 2026: March Break
- April 27, 2026: PA Day – district priorities
- June 5, 2026: PA Day
- June 26, 2026: Last day of school
Secondary
- Sept. 2, 2025: First day of school
- Sept. 29, 2025: PA Day (elementary and secondary school)
- Nov. 7, 2025: PA Day (elementary and secondary school)
- Dec. 22, 2025-Jan. 2, 2026: Winter Break
- Jan. 23-29, 2026: Exams
- Jan. 30: PA Day for secondary schools
- Feb. 13, 2026: PA Day (elementary and secondary schools)
- March 16-20, 2026: March Break
- April 27, 2026: PA Day – district priorities
- June 18-24, 2026: Exams
- June 25, 2026: PA Day
- June 26, 2026: Last Day of School/PA Day
