Albuquerque Public Schools
Update Regarding the Decision on the 2023-2024 Calendar
Find updates about the traditional and extended-year calendar for the next school year.
Albuquerque Public Schools believes it is in the best interest of our students, staff, families, and community to delay a vote on the 2023-2024 school calendar. Postponing a decision will allow flexibility to adapt if the New Mexico Legislature extends instructional hours or days for all state public schools.
The district would like to thank the community for replying to our request for feedback on the proposed 2023-2024 calendar. It is clear there is no consensus on a calendar that will please everyone, but the more significant concern is the impact proposed new education legislation may have in the immediate future.
We know our community relies on the APS calendar to map family plans. Businesses build employee schedules, project timelines, and events around the APS school calendar. Out of consideration to everyone, APS will delay a vote on the new school calendar until we have critical information on required instructional hours for public school students and the options allowed to meet those requirements.
We apologize for any inconvenience this decision may cause. We want to mitigate the harm of approving a calendar now that may change again following the legislative session.
Building a school calendar that puts the instructional needs of our students first is one of the most difficult yearly tasks for a school district. Our first responsibility is to ensure we approve a calendar that does not disrupt the learning process, but we also have to consider the desires of families, the community, and staff.
More Information
Traditional and Extended-Year Differences
The proposed 2023-2024 APS traditional calendar has students returning to school on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. Teachers and school staff would return on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
The start date is the only difference between the proposed traditional and extended-year calendars. Students attending schools on an extended calendar would start two weeks earlier on Tuesday, Aug. 1, giving them ten additional instructional days. Staff at those schools would start the 2023-2024 school year on Wednesday, July 26.
All holidays and breaks in the proposed traditional and extended-year calendars would be the same, as would the last day of school, Friday, May 24, 2024.
Note: APS currently has 29 elementary schools on the extended calendar. All other APS schools, including all middle and high schools, are on a traditional calendar this school year.
Proposed Breaks in the 2023-2024 School Year
Fall Break
- Schools would be closed for two days on Monday, Oct. 9 (Indigenous Peoples Day) and Tuesday, Oct. 10, which is still during Balloon Fiesta. (This information has been corrected. An earlier version incorrectly stated that the break wouldn't be during Balloon Fiesta.)
Thanksgiving Break
- Fall conferences for elementary, middle, and high schools would be Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 20 and 21.
- Thanksgiving break would follow the conferences on Nov. 22-24.
Winter Break
- Winter break for students would be from Monday, Dec. 25, through Tuesday, Jan. 9.
- Teachers would return on Monday, Jan. 8, for two days of professional development.
- Students would return on Wednesday, Jan. 10, for the start of the second semester.
Spring Break
- Schools would be closed the last week of March, from the 25th through the 29th.
- March 29 is also the Vernal Holiday.
- Spring conferences for elementary and middle schools would take place two weeks earlier, on Monday and Tuesday, March 11 and 12.
Similarities to Past Calendars
The proposed 2023-2024 calendars have several similarities to past calendars, including a day off for:
- Labor Day in September
- Veterans Day in November
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January
- Presidents Day in February
The 2023-2024 calendar doesn't include a day off for Election Day.
Commenting on the Proposed Calendar
Both proposed calendars were developed by a committee of principals, union representatives, and district administrators.
Students, families, and the community are encouraged to comment on the proposed calendars, which will go back to the committee and then to the Board of Education for final approval. Provide your input on the proposed calendars by Thursday, December 1.
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| July 26, 2023 | First day back for teachers and staff at schools with an extended calendar |
| Aug. 1 | First Day of School for extended-calendar schools |
| Aug. 9 | First day back for teachers and staff at schools with a traditional calendar |
| Aug. 15 | First Day of School for traditional-calendar schools |
| Sept. 4 | Labor Day (schools and offices closed) |
| Oct. 9-10 | Indigenous Peoples Day and Fall Break (schools closed; offices closed October 9) |
| Nov. 10 | Veterans Day-Observed (schools and offices closed) |
| Nov. 20-21 | Family/Teacher Conferences for all grades |
| Nov. 22-24 | Thanksgiving Break (schools closed; offices TBD) |
| Dec. 25, 2023-Jan. 9, 2024 | Winter Break (schools closed; offices TBD) |
| Jan. 8-9 | Teacher training days (no school for students) |
| Jan. 10 | First Day of Second Semester |
| Jan. 15 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (schools and offices closed) |
| Feb. 19 | Presidents Day (schools and offices closed) |
| March 11-12 | Family/Teacher Conferences for elementary and middle schools |
| March 25-29 | Spring Break (schools closed, offices closed for the Vernal Holiday on March 29) |
| May 24 | Last Day of School |
| May 27 | Memorial Day (schools and offices closed) |