ACS — Alabaster City Schools will begin the second semester of the 2025–2026 School Year on Tuesday, Jan. 6, launching a spring term that includes major academic assessments, scheduled breaks, and end-of-year milestones for students and staff.
The second semester runs through May 21, the last day of school for students, and will include a two-hour early dismissal. A teacher workday is scheduled for May 22.
Throughout the semester, students and families will observe several holidays and non-traditional school days. Schools will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19 and Presidents’ Day on Feb. 16. An e-Day (remote learning day for students) is scheduled for Feb. 13. The district has also built in weather days on March 6 and April 17, should they be needed.
Spring Break will be observed March 23–27, providing a whole week off for students and staff.
Academically, the spring semester includes the district’s primary state and standardized testing windows. ACCESS for ELLs testing will take place from Jan. 12 through March 13 (online). ACAP Alternate testing is scheduled from March 2 through April 3 (Grades 2-8, 10, and 11), followed by the ACAP Summative testing window from March 16 through April 24 (Grades 2-8). ACT with Writing for 11th graders will be administered on March 10.
The third grading period concludes on March 13, while the fourth and final grading period runs from March 16 through the end of the school year. Graduation for Thompson High School seniors is scheduled for May 19, 2025, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
District leaders note that the second-semester calendar balances instructional time with strategically placed breaks to support student engagement, staff planning, and assessment readiness as the year draws to a close.