- Alachua County Public Schools students will return to school on Monday, Aug. 10, for the 2026-27 school year with specific start and end times by school.
- Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday runs from July 20 to Aug. 20, exempting tax on supplies, clothing, and computers up to set prices.
Summer break is quickly coming to an end for Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) students, as students are set to return to school on Monday, Aug. 10.
With the start of a new school year on the horizon, here is some information families should know about.
Back-to-school sales tax holiday
Florida’s annual back-to-school sales tax holiday kicked off on July 20 and will continue through Aug. 20. During the monthlong holiday, families can purchase necessary school supplies without having to pay sales tax.
From now through Aug. 20, items exempt from sales tax include:
- Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles selling for $30 or less
- Most school supplies selling for $50 or less
- Clothing, footwear and accessories selling for $100 or less
- Computers and related accessories selling for $1,500 or less (when purchased for non-commercial and personal use)
A full list of items exempt from sales tax can be found here.
ACPS enrollment/registration
Families with a child who is new to ACPS, is returning to the district following a gap in enrollment or has been enrolled in a charter, private, homeschool, or other program not part of ACPS are required to fill out the New Student Online Enrollment application.
The form allows a parent or guardian to create a temporary online account so he or she can enroll their child, according to the district’s website.
Families who already have a child enrolled in an ACPS school but have another student entering the district can enroll the new student through their current Skyward Family Access account under New Student Online Enrollment. Parents or guardians who don’t have a Family Access account can request one by contacting their child’s school or emailing familyaccessrequest@alachuaschools.net.
Families who already have a child enrolled in an ACPS school but have moved into a different zone within the district must re-register their child in the new school, according to ACPS’s website. A parent or guardian needs to bring two proofs of residence and his or her photo ID to the new school to register.
More enrollment information can be found here.
New school attendance zones
In March, the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) approved a right-sizing plan that includes new attendance boundaries for all elementary, middle and high schools for the 2026-27 school year and beyond.
Families can find more information about the new attendance zones for the upcoming school year here.
Meet the teacher
Meet the teacher events are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Aug. 6-7, across various ACPS campuses, according to information on the district’s website.
A full schedule can be found here.
School hours
Below is a breakdown of the 2026-27 school hours by area.
ALACHUA/HIGH SPRINGS
- Alachua Elementary: 7:55 a.m.-2:02 p.m.
- Irby Elementary: 7:45 a.m.-1:52 p.m.
- High Springs Community (K-5): 8 a.m.-2:07 p.m.
- High Springs Community (6-8): 8 a.m.-2:14 p.m.
- Mebane Middle: 8 a.m.-2:17 p.m.
- Santa Fe High: 9:10 a.m.-3:17 p.m.
ARCHER/NEWBERRY
- Archer Community: 7:45 a.m.-1:52 p.m.
- Oak View K-8 (K-5): 8 a.m.-2:07 p.m.
- Oak View K-8 (6-8): 8 a.m.-2:14 p.m.
- Newberry High: 8:35 a.m.-2:47 p.m.
HAWTHORNE
- Shell Elementary: 8:20 a.m.-2:27 p.m.
- Hawthorne Middle/High: 8:30 a.m.-2:43 p.m.
GAINESVILLE
Elementary schools
- Chiles, Glen Springs, Hidden Oak, Idywild, Lake Forest, Littlewood, Meadowbrook, Metcalfe, Norton, Parker, Rawlings, Talbot, Terwillinger, Wiles, Williams: 7:45 a.m.-1:52 p.m.
Middle schools
- Bishop, Ft. Clarke, Kanapaha, Lincoln and Westwood: 9:20 a.m.-3:37 p.m.
High Schools
- Buchholz, Eastside and Gainesville: 8:30 a.m.-2:42 p.m.
- PAM@Loften: 8:30 a.m.-2:52 p.m.
CENTER SCHOOLS
- Duval Early Learning Center: 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Sidney Lanier: 9:15 a.m.-3:32 p.m.
- A. Quinn Jones: 9:15 a.m.-3:22 p.m.
All ACPS elementary schools will once again have weekly early release Wednesdays for the entirety of the school year, according to the district’s website. This also applies to High Springs Community School, A. Quinn Jones, Sidney Lainer and Duval Early Learning.
Families can see early release times by school here.
Bus transportation
Families can find information relating to their child’s bus here.
School meals
ACPS announced in July that free meals will be offered to students at 23 local schools, including some charter schools, designated as federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) sites for the 2026-27 school year.
According to a July ACPS release, families of students who attend the 27 schools not designated as CEP sites for the upcoming school year must meet income guidelines and fill out a family application for their child to receive free or reduced-price meals.
A list of ACPS schools designated as CEP sites, as well as the schools not assigned to CEP sites and the application, can be found here.
School calendar
Below are some upcoming dates on the 2026-27 calendar that families should be aware of.
- Monday, Sept. 7 (holiday – Labor Day)
- Friday, Oct. 9 (UF Homecoming – tentative)
- Tuesday, Oct. 13 (end of first nine weeks)
- Friday, Oct. 16 (student holiday – teacher workday)
- Thursday, Oct. 22 (report cards available in Family Access)
A link to the entire 2026-27 school calendar can be found here.
More information on back to school can be found on ACPS’s Back to School page.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.