At Santa Rosa County District Schools, our mission is to love, educate, and prepare every student for graduation and a successful future. As we look ahead to the 2024-2025 academic year, staying organized is the first step toward achieving those goals. This comprehensive calendar serves as your roadmap for the journey ahead—from the first bell on August 12 to the final celebrations of May—ensuring that students, families, and educators are perfectly synced for a year of excellence.
Key Academic Dates
The Santa Rosa County school calendar incorporates key academic milestones to frame the school year:
First Day of School: Students begin the academic year in early August, excited to embark on new learning adventures.
Last Day of School: The school year closes in late May after a long, effective year of growth and accomplishments.
Progress Reports and Report Cards: Planned throughout the year to provide information to families about students’ progress. This enables families to help students improve in areas where needed.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Reasons for both families and teachers to work together on strategies to meet student needs.
Holidays and Breaks
The calendar has some holidays and breaks to give rest and refreshment to students and staff:
Labor Day: A long weekend in the first week of September is considered the first break in the academic year.
Thanksgiving Break: A week-long break at the end of November allows spending time with family and thankfulness.
Winter Break: A two-week holiday from mid-December to the beginning of January gives festive celebrations and holiday rest.
Spring Break: This is a week-long break in March, allowing students and staff to have a mid-semester break.
Memorial Day: This holiday, occurring at the end of May, memorializes military service and gives a holiday at the end of the school year.
These holidays and breaks are appropriately placed to balance the academic year with periods of rest and family time.
Teacher Workdays
Purpose: Teacher workdays shall be used for professional development, lesson planning, and updating curriculum.
Impact: These days ensure that educators are well-prepared to provide high-quality instruction and support to their students.
Teacher workdays are essential in maintaining the excellence of Santa Rosa County schools.
Early Release Days
Details: Students are released from school earlier than usual on early release days, which allows teachers the time for training, collaboration, and planning.
Parental Guidance: Families should make plans for after school childcare or activities on these days.
These days allow educators to refine their strategies while minimizing disruptions to the school schedule.
Special Events and Activities
Santa Rosa County schools provide a range of activities and events to complement the education:
Sports Events: These events promote physical fitness, teambuilding, and school spirit.
Art and Music Performances: Such events accommodate students in showcasing their various talents and capabilities.
STEM Fairs: Such events nurture innovation and critical thinking in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Community Service Projects: Service projects promote relationships between the schools and the community.
These activities give students opportunities to learn valuable skills, uncover new interests, and make friends.
Emergency Closures and Makeup Days
Closures: Families will be notified as soon as possible in case of an emergency closure, such as for inclement weather.
Makeup Days: The calendar includes reserve days to ensure instructional time is made up and consistency in academics remains intact.
This ensures that students meet the instructional hour needs without wasting valuable school time in achieving this.
High School Focus: Exams & Graduation
For students in middle and high school, the calendar isn’t just about holidays—it’s about the “High Stakes” windows that define their academic results. Understanding these cycles helps families provide better support during stressful testing periods.
Semester Exam Schedule
In Santa Rosa County, the end of each semester features a specific “Early Release” schedule for middle and high school students to accommodate finals.
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First Semester Exams: Scheduled for December 18, 19, and 20, 2024. On December 20, all students (including elementary) typically follow an early release schedule to kick off the Winter Break.
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Second Semester Exams: These fall during the final week of school, specifically May 27, 28, and 29, 2025. These days are critical for finalizing GPAs and course credits.
Graduation Milestone Dates
The Class of 2025 will wrap up their journey with a series of ceremonies held across the district. While dates can shift slightly, the majority of ceremonies are held at the end of May. Key high school graduation dates include:
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Milton High: May 22, 2025
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Navarre, Gulf Breeze, and Pace High: May 24, 2025
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Central and Jay High: May 29, 2025
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Blended Academy & Locklin Tech: Mid-May celebrations
Senior Final Exams
Graduating seniors follow a slightly different schedule than the rest of the student body to ensure grades are processed in time for commencement. Seniors should prepare for their final exams during the window of May 19–21, 2025. Missing these dates can impact a student’s ability to participate in graduation ceremonies, so marking these as “priority attendance” days is highly recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
How would you characterize the start and end dates for the Santa Rosa County School System?
It begins in the first week of August and ends in late May.
How do I access the whole calendar for Santa Rosa County schools?
This calendar is available on the official website of Santa Rosa County Schools or your child’s school.
What are the teacher workdays?
These days are for professional development, lesson planning, and updating the curriculum.
Does the calendar include early release days?
Yes, early release days are available to support teachers with collaboration and instructional improvement.
What holidays are in the Santa Rosa County school calendar?
It includes holidays such as but not limited to Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, and Memorial Day.
What about in cases of emergency closure?
Lost instructional time is made up using designated makeup days.
The Santa Rosa County School Calendar for 2024-2025 was constructed in such a way that it provides a well-structured academic year, balancing the most valuable learning time with breaks and enrichment activities for a great experience among students, families, and educators alike.