Hi Anon and Sally37,

GreatSchools is a nationwide forum, and one thing I've learned in the time I've been here is that many school districts handle breaks and start and end dates differently.

Each state sets a minimum amount of days for a school year, and then each district decides how to break it out. Districts that get a whole week off at Thanksgiving make up the time somewhere else. Some school districts have three weeks at Christmas. Some have barely a week.

If you have concerns on how your school determines its calendar and vacation schedule, ask to speak to your school board members and find out how the calendar is created.