Atlanta Public Schools and metro districts begin 2026-27 school year

Atlanta Public Schools began the 2026-27 school year Monday, Aug. 3, joining several large metro Atlanta districts that opened classes on the same date.

The regional start-date schedule lists Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, Cherokee, Fayette, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale school districts among those beginning Aug. 3. The calendar dates mark the return to classes after summer break; they do not mean every school in the Atlanta metropolitan area opened that day.

Different districts have different opening days

Several neighboring systems are scheduled to begin later in the first week of August. Gwinnett County and Douglas County are set to start classes Aug. 5, while Forsyth County is scheduled for Aug. 6. Hall and Habersham counties are scheduled to begin Aug. 7.

The staggered dates mean families with students in different districts may be following different school calendars, even when those districts are part of the same broader metro area. The listed Aug. 3 opening date applies to Atlanta Public Schools and the other districts specifically identified in the regional calendar guide, rather than serving as a regionwide opening date.

What families should check

Families were advised to consult their own district’s information for transportation schedules, school supply lists and orientation details. Those items can vary by district and school, regardless of the shared first day listed on a regional calendar.

The available calendar reporting does not provide attendance totals, enrollment figures, staffing information or records of transportation conditions for Aug. 3. It also does not identify district-specific operational changes connected to the opening day. Families seeking those details should rely on information issued by their district or individual school.

Regional calendar timeline

Among the Georgia systems included in the calendar guide, Chattooga County Schools had the earliest listed return date, July 24. The sequence of openings continues through Aug. 7 for the metro-area districts listed with later starts.

For Atlanta Public Schools, the Aug. 3 date is the confirmed start of the 2026-27 school year. The next known calendar milestones in the regional roundup are the scheduled Aug. 5, Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 openings for districts that did not begin classes Monday.