The start of the Iowa State Fair today means that the start of the 2025-26 school year is not far behind. Here are some important upcoming dates to keep in mind as the days of summer vacation wind down:
Clarke Schools
Aug. 19: Clarke in the Park will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the downtown square. Meet the fall sports teams, new staff and hear from teachers and administrators.
Aug. 21: Open house night. Clarke Elementary will host their open house from 4 to 6 p.m. From 4 to 4:30, sixth graders will have orientation. The middle and high school open house will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 25: First day of school.
Sept. 1: Labor Day, no school.
Sept. 2: First day of school for preschool.
Murray Schools
Aug. 21: Open house from 5 to 7 p.m.
Aug. 25: No school.
Aug. 26: First day of school with an early out at 1:45 p.m.
Sept. 1: Labor Day, no school.
Sept. 2: Back to school night for preschool from 5 to 7 p.m.
Sept. 4: First day of school for preschool.
Calendars
Calendars for both schools can be found on their respective websites: clarkecsd.org and murraycsd.org. The approved school calendars have Clarke’s last day as May 28, 2026, and Murray’s May 22, 2026.