Quick Reference — COS District Start Dates 2026-27

• D49 (Falcon): Aug 3 (K, 6th, 9th) and Aug 4 (all other grades) — school is in session now
• Harrison District 2: August 10, 2026
• D11 (Colorado Springs School District 11): August 12, 2026
• D20 (Academy District 20): August 17 (elementary/preschool/6th/9th) and August 18 (all other grades)

Academy District 20 families: the first day of school is not August 13. That date was incorrect and has been circulating in some community channels. The confirmed, correct start dates for D20 are August 17 and August 18.

The Springs Daily confirmed the corrected dates directly from D20. Here is the breakdown: preschool, elementary, 6th-grade, and 9th-grade students begin on Monday, August 17. All other D20 students — meaning grades that are not making a building transition — begin on Tuesday, August 18. The staggered approach mirrors what D49 used this week, giving transition-year students a day to orient before the full school population arrives.

Why the Correct Date Matters

If your family made childcare arrangements, scheduled a last-minute vacation, or planned around August 13 as the start date, you have additional time. The correct start is August 17 — nearly two weeks away as of today — which gives D20 families meaningful time to finalize summer plans and back-to-school preparations.

All COS District Start Dates in One Place

For families looking at the full picture of when Colorado Springs schools return this summer, here is the complete schedule for the 2026-27 school year. District 49 used a staggered start this week and is now fully in session. Harrison School District 2 begins August 10. D11 follows on August 12. D20 brings the major school districts to a close with its staggered start on August 17 and 18.

Each district posts its full school calendar — including early release days, holidays, and parent-teacher conference dates — on its official website. For D20, visit asd20.org. For D11, d11.org. For D49, d49.org.

What's Next

With D49 now in session and D11 beginning August 12, the COS school year is beginning across the district. D20 families have two full weeks before their first day. The D11 board votes tomorrow (August 5) on whether to place a $775 million bond on the November ballot. COS Parenting will have coverage of that vote result Wednesday evening. Back-to-school coverage continues through the first week of school for each district.