NORTH CAROLINA — Most public schools across North Carolina are expected to be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day, according to multiple district academic calendars reviewed statewide.
Memorial Day, observed annually on the last Monday in May, is a federally recognized holiday honoring U.S. military personnel who died in service. School systems across North Carolina consistently designate the day as a full closure for students and staff. District calendars—including those from Wilkes County Schools and Lincoln County Schools—specifically list May 25 as a “Memorial Day Holiday” with schools and offices closed.
Additional district calendars, such as those from Catawba County Schools, also confirm that no classes are held on that date, reinforcing that the holiday is widely observed statewide.
For the month of May, Memorial Day stands out as the only broadly observed holiday that results in widespread school closures across North Carolina. While some districts may include additional non-instructional days—such as teacher workdays, early dismissals, or the final day of school—these vary by district and are not uniformly observed statewide.
State guidelines also require districts to complete the school year by early June, meaning many systems are in the final stretch of the academic calendar during late May.
In many cases, the school year concludes shortly before or after Memorial Day, with some districts ending classes in the days leading up to the holiday and others returning briefly afterward to finish the academic year.
Following the Memorial Day holiday, most North Carolina students either complete the final days of school or have already transitioned into summer break.
