school year

American  

noun

school years plural

1. the months of the year during which school is open and attendance at school is required.

2. academic year.

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school year British  

noun

1. a twelve-month period, (in Britain) usually starting in late summer and continuing for three terms until the following summer, during which pupils remain in the same class

2. the time during this period when the school is open

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• school years
  plural

Etymology

Origin of school year

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

school year

At the Los Angeles Unified School District high school where I teach, this exact type of “adjustment” is happening for the 2026-2027 school year because of declining enrollment.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

On its website, however, Crystal River still is providing information on the Step Up scholarship for parents while inviting students to enroll for next school year.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Nationwide, kindergartners’ vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella, commonly referred to as MMR, dropped to 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year, from 95.2% in 2019-20, according to the CDC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

During the school year, parking on the north side of Pico is restricted for several hours each day for student drop-offs at a nearby school, she said, forcing drivers onto her side of the street.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

On the first day of the new school year, I boarded the bus as usual, nodded to Mrs. Korshak, the driver, and walked to the back of the bus.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg