BVSD 2026-27 for North Boulder Families: Calendar and Changes

Jul 24, 2026 / Oct 4, 2026 · 6 min read · Back to School BVSD Events 80304 Boulder Colorado NoBo ·

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BVSD in 2026-27: What North Boulder Families Need to Know

The Boulder Valley School District's 2026-27 year is well under way. This guide puts the rest of the school calendar in one place, explains the Choice Enrollment lottery for next year, and sums up two decisions the Board of Education has made that change which schools some Boulder children will attend. Everything here comes from BVSD's own pages, plus RTD for the bus fares.

How the Year Started

According to the district calendar, teachers had professional development days from August 4 to 11, 2026. Students started in two waves. Grades 1 to 5, 6 and 9 began on Wednesday, August 12. Kindergarten had its own Welcome days from August 12 to 14. Grades 7, 8 and 10 to 12 started on Thursday, August 13.

In September there were two days off: Labor Day on September 7 and a district professional development day on September 21.

The Rest of the Fall

October 9: the first quarter ends
October 12–13: fall break, no school
November 11: Veterans Day, no school
November 23–24: fall conference exchange days, no school
November 25–27: Thanksgiving break, no school
December 18: the semester ends
December 21–31: winter break, no school

That means students have the whole week of November 23 off: two conference days, then the three days of Thanksgiving break.

Winter and Spring 2027

January 1: winter break continues, no school
January 4: district professional development day, no school
January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, no school
February 15: Presidents' Day, no school
February 16: conference exchange day, no school
February 17: district professional development day, no school
March 12: the third quarter ends
March 15–19: spring break, no school
May 20: last day for students; the semester ends
May 21: teacher work day, no school
May 31: Memorial Day
June 19: Juneteenth (observed June 18)

Students go back after winter break on January 5. In mid-February, Monday through Wednesday (February 15–17) are all days off.

BVSD posts printable versions of the calendar in English and Spanish on its calendar page.

Holidays and Faith

BVSD also keeps a calendar of religious holidays. The district says it "strongly" discourages teachers from scheduling events, assignments and tests that could keep a student from observing a religious holiday. When there is a conflict, teachers are asked to be flexible, and students should not be penalized for late work on those days.

Choice Enrollment for 2027-28

BVSD lets families apply to a school other than their neighborhood school, and lets students from outside the district apply too. This is called Choice Enrollment. Colorado law allows children to enroll in any Colorado public school if there is room.

The key dates for the 2027-28 school year are:

November 1, 2026: the on-time application window opens
December 18, 2026: the on-time window closes
Around December 23, 2026: families are told about seat offers
Within 13 days of an offer: families must accept and finish registration
August 31, 2027: the last day to apply; late applications go on wait lists

Seats are given out by lottery, not first come, first served. Applications sent in the on-time window get priority. Because a choice seat is not guaranteed, families can also keep their neighborhood school place as a backup. Every school holds open houses and tours, and BVSD has a SchoolFinder tool to compare schools.

Changing schools during the current year is different. That is an "administrative transfer," and requests can be made from September 15 to April 15 for unusual changes in a family's situation.

Kindergarten

BVSD offers free full-day kindergarten at every elementary school. To start kindergarten, a child must turn 5 on or before October 1 of that school year. Families enroll at their neighborhood school, or apply through Choice Enrollment for another school.

School Changes Coming in 2027-28

On September 22, 2026, the Board of Education approved the "Resilient Schools" plan. It responds to falling enrollment, which BVSD has tracked since 2022. All of the changes take effect in the 2027-28 school year. In Boulder, the plan will:

Close Flatirons Elementary and split its area between Whittier and Foothill elementary schools
Close Douglass Elementary and split its area among Coal Creek, Eisenhower and Heatherwood
Move High Peaks Elementary to the former Douglass campus
Move Community Montessori to the former High Peaks space on the Aurora 7 campus, sharing it with the Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies
Close Mesa Elementary and merge its school community with Bear Creek, in the Bear Creek building

The plan also merges Birch and Kohl elementaries in Broomfield, and changes Eldorado PK-8 and Monarch PK-8 in Superior and Louisville. Foothill Elementary, at 1001 Hawthorn Avenue in 80304, is the North Boulder school most directly affected, because it will take in part of the Flatirons area. BVSD has posted answers about enrollment, school-age care, special education, transportation and preschool on its Resilient Schools pages. Questions the answers do not cover can be sent through a form on the same page.

The Crest View Boundary Change

A smaller change affects Crest View Elementary, at 1897 Sumac Avenue in 80304. In September 2025, the board approved new attendance area boundaries that started this year. An area in Gunbarrel — east of the Diagonal Highway, west of 63rd Street and north of Independence Road — moved from Crest View to Heatherwood Elementary, and from Centennial Middle School to Nevin Platt Middle School. It stays with Boulder High.

BVSD said the change keeps Gunbarrel students together, means they no longer have to cross the Diagonal Highway, and balances enrollment: more than twice as many students lived in the Crest View area as in the Heatherwood area. Students who were at Crest View or Centennial in 2025-26 may stay through 5th or 8th grade, but without school bus service.

Getting to School

BVSD's transportation pages list two changes worth knowing:

Bus registration and bus passes are no longer required for 2026-27. Families can look up their bus stop and time online.
RTD is free for anyone 19 and under. The Zero Fare for Youth program is now permanent, on all RTD buses and trains. No ticket is needed, but riders must be ready to show the driver or a fare inspector a current school ID, a government-issued ID, a permanent resident card, a military ID or dependent card with date of birth, or an RTD youth discount card. RTD added service on several routes popular with BVSD students on September 29, including the Skip.

BVSD buses carry more than 5,000 students a day, and the district is hiring bus drivers and bus aides. The district also encourages walking, biking and carpooling, and runs a Safe Routes to School program.

Key Dates at a Glance

Fall break: October 12–13, 2026
Choice Enrollment opens: November 1, 2026
No school: November 23–27, 2026
Choice Enrollment on-time deadline: December 18, 2026
Winter break: December 21, 2026 – January 4, 2027 (students return January 5)
No school: February 15–17, 2027
Spring break: March 15–19, 2027
Last day for students: May 20, 2027