Back-to-School Reminders for 2026-2027
Back-to-School Reminders for 2026-2027
Becky Bean
First Day of School
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Class Schedules and Teacher Assignments:
Schools will communicate with parents prior to the first day of school regarding teacher assignments and class schedules.
Staggered Start for four- and five-year-old kindergarten students
All KCSD four- and five-year-old kindergarten students will participate in a staggered start process for the 2026-2027 school year and will attend school using the following schedule:
Thursday, July 30: Students with last names beginning with A–L attend school.
Friday, July 31: Students with last names beginning with M–Z attend school.
Monday, August 3: All four- and five-year-old kindergarten students attend school.
All 4K and 5K students will fully begin the school year and attend school daily on Monday, August 3.
Please note: This staggered start schedule does not apply to students in preschool special education programs at the following locations: Doby’s Mill Elementary, Jackson School, Midway Elementary, Pine Tree Hill Elementary and Wateree Elementary. These students will begin school on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
School Start/Dismissal Times:
Elementary - 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Middle - 7:45 a.m. - 3 p.m.
High - 8 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
2026-2027 District Calendar: www.kcsdschools.net/calendar
Student Meals: www.kcsdschools.net/menu
All students in Kershaw County School District will receive free breakfasts and lunches during the 2026-2027 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. If you would like to add money to your child’s meal account for the purchase of additional food items during the school year you can do so using MySchoolBucks.com or by sending payment to the school. Menus can be found here when school begins: www.kcsdschools.net/menu
Please note: We are actively monitoring the Cyclospora outbreak. The health and safety of our students and staff are our top priorities, and we want to assure parents that we are taking proactive steps to safeguard our school environment. We have suspended all orders and service of raw leafy greens until further notice and will adjust our menus accordingly.
Bus Information: www.kcsdschools.net/bus
Bus drivers will be contacting parents prior to the first day of school. For specific information on your child’s bus route and bus stop, please contact your area's bus supervisor directly. Their contact information can be found here: www.kcsdschools.net/bus
KCSD is using a transportation app in partnership with the SC Department of Education. The My Ride K-12 application provides quick access to your child's routing information, which can include the bus stop location, route number, and estimated times. You can download the My Ride K-12 app from the Apple and Android app stores.
Learn more about My Ride K-12 here.
Please note that all bus information may not be available in the My Ride app until the routes are finalized a few weeks into the school year.
School Supply Lists: www.kcsdschools.net/supplies
School supply lists for elementary and middle school students are posted on our website at www.kcsdschools.net/supplies. Because individual student schedules are so different at the high school level, teachers will let students know what materials are needed for each course once school begins.
Clear Bag Policy: www.kcsdschools.net/clearbag
KCSD has a clear bag policy in place for middle and high school extracurricular activities. Under these guidelines, only clear tote bags no bigger than 12x6x12 inches or a clear plastic bag no larger than a gallon size can be used to carry items into extracurricular activities. For more information visit: www.kcsdschools.net/clearbag
Summer Reading: www.kcsdschools.net/read
KCSD students can be rewarded for reading! Students can return their completed paper logs. Details are on our website at www.kcsdschools.net/read.
Questions? www.kcsdschools.net/schools
If you have any specific questions, please contact your child's school.