So, you're trying to figure out when the kids actually go back or when that next long weekend hits? Honestly, keeping track of the dublin high school calendar is a bit of a moving target, especially since Dublin, California, just opened Emerald High. Now we’ve got two major campuses running on the same clock, and if you miss a "Professional Development" day, you’re suddenly the parent frantically Googling at 7:00 AM while the house is silent.
It happens.
I’ve spent way too much time staring at the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) board-approved PDFs so you don’t have to. Whether you're at the classic Dublin High campus on Village Parkway or the shiny new Emerald High, the schedule is your roadmap for the year.
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When Does School Actually Start?
Forget what you remember from your own childhood. Summer ends early here. For the 2025-2026 school year, the first day of school is August 12, 2025.
That’s a Tuesday.
It always feels a little abrupt. You’re at the Alameda County Fair one minute, and the next, you’re standing in the Gaels’ parking lot dealing with drop-off traffic. Staff usually gets a head start with development days on August 7 and 8, but for the students, the 12th is the real deal.
The Break-Down of Fall 2025
The first few weeks are a sprint. Then, the holidays start trickling in. Labor Day hits on September 1, giving everyone a much-needed Monday off.
October is usually the month that trips people up. In 2025, there’s a Professional Development day scheduled for October 13. This is one of those "hidden" holidays. It’s a Monday, so the kids get a three-day weekend, but if you don't mark it down, you'll be the only one in the carpool lane.
Veterans Day is observed on Tuesday, November 11.
Then comes the big one: Thanksgiving Break. DUSD is pretty consistent here. The break runs from November 24 to November 28, 2025. You get the full week. No school. Just five days of prep, turkey, and hopefully some peace before the finals madness begins.
The Winter Break and "J-Term" Confusion
Winter Break is the centerpiece of the dublin high school calendar. For 2025, the last day of the first semester is December 19.
The official Winter Break starts December 22, 2025, and runs through January 2, 2026.
But wait. Don't book that flight back on January 3 just yet. January 5, 2026, is a Professional Development day for staff. Students don't actually return to the classroom until Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Why January is Different in Dublin
One thing that makes Dublin High (and now Emerald High) stand out is the way they handle the transition into the second semester. You might hear people talking about "J-Term" or intensive sessions. While the district follows a standard semester format, those first few weeks in January are often used for shifting gears into new electives or wrapping up the heavy lifting of the winter testing season.
Spring 2026: The Long Stretch
Once we hit the new year, the calendar gets peppered with three-day weekends.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 19
- Lincoln’s Birthday/Presidents Day: This is usually a "President’s Week" block. For 2026, expect the break from February 16 to February 20.
If you’re planning a Disney trip or a ski week, that February block is your golden ticket.
Spring Break is the next major milestone. It’s scheduled for April 6 through April 10, 2026. It’s strategically placed right as everyone starts hitting that "burnout" phase before the final push to June.
Finals, Graduation, and the Finish Line
The end of the year is a whirlwind. Memorial Day falls on May 25, 2026.
The last day of school for the 2025-2026 year is June 4, 2026.
Graduation for seniors usually happens right around that final week. If you’ve got a senior, keep an eye on the specific Gaels stadium schedule. With two high schools now, the logistics of graduation ceremonies are a bit more complex. Typically, Dublin High holds its ceremony in the stadium, while Emerald High—depending on their class size and facilities—will have its own designated slot.
A Quick Word on Minimum Days
Look, the "official" calendar tells you the holidays, but it’s the minimum days that break you. Finals weeks in December and June are almost always half-days. High schoolers usually get out around noon.
Also, keep an eye on Wednesdays. Dublin High frequently uses "collaboration" schedules where the start or end times shift slightly to allow teachers to meet. If your teen says, "I don't have to be there until 9:00 today," they might actually be telling the truth.
Actionable Tips for Dublin Parents
Don't just bookmark the DUSD website and hope for the best.
- Sync to Google Calendar: The DUSD website has an "iCal" or "RSS" feed. Use it. It will push updates directly to your phone if the Board of Trustees changes a date (which happens more than you'd think).
- The "November Trap": Remember that the week before Thanksgiving is often a "Conference Week" or has modified schedules for various grade levels. High schoolers are generally exempt from the parent-teacher conference early dismissals that hit the elementary schools, but the traffic around Village Parkway and Tassajara Road will still be a nightmare.
- Check the PFSO Site: The Dublin High Parent Faculty Student Organization (PFSO) often posts the real details—like when the snack bar is open or when the specific finals block schedule is released.
- Emerald High Sync: If you have one kid at DHS and one at EHS, rest easy. The district keeps the calendars identical for major breaks to ensure families aren't split during the holidays.
The dublin high school calendar isn't just a list of days off; it's the rhythm of the city. Once you know that August 12 is the "point of no return," you can plan your summer accordingly and maybe, just maybe, avoid the last-minute Target run for binders on the 11th.
To stay completely ahead, download the 2025-2026 PDF directly from the Dublin Unified School District website and save it to your phone's "Files" folder. This ensures you can check dates even when you're in the middle of a grocery run with zero reception.