School schedules matter in custody and possession planning. Below are the 2026–2027
academic calendars for school districts across the greater Houston–Galveston area.
Parents and their attorneys often need to consult school district calendars to determine
when divorced or separated parents are entitled to possession of their children. This is
particularly important in these circumstances:
The dates when school starts and ends (Thursday periods of possession are only during
the regular school term and many summer visitations must end at least a week before the
start of school; the parent with visitation who must plan his or her summer needs to know
when school stops for the summer before giving notice on April 1 of each year of what his
or her extended summer possession will be);
School holidays on Fridays or Mondays before or after a weekend can extend visitation
according to most possession orders;
Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break periods of possession are all keyed to the
school district calendar.
