Back to school in Guatemala: when the school year starts and what kids need

When does the school year start in Guatemala?

Unlike in the US and Canada, most Guatemalan schools run from January or February through October, so the long break falls over Christmas and New Year's. The Education Ministry (Mineduc) sets the dates every year by ministerial agreement. For 2026 (Prensa Libre, Mineduc):

• Public schools: classes began on Monday, February 2, 2026, under Ministerial Agreement 4817-2025. Teachers returned in late January.
• Private, cooperative and municipal schools: classes began on January 12, 2026, under Ministerial Agreement 4818-2025.
• Private schools with an international calendar: those starting in August began on August 3, 2026, and finish on May 21, 2027 (Ministerial Agreement 3149-2026, La Hora).

The education minister said the February start answered a strongly felt request from school communities (AGN). In public schools, the last day of regular weekday classes is October 30, 2026 (La Hora), and the ministry budgeted school meals for all 180 days of the school year (AGN).

When does the 2027 school year start in Guatemala?

As of late October 2026, the Education Ministry's school calendar page still showed only the 2026 agreements. For reference, the 2026 calendar was published in the official gazette, the Diario de Centro América, on December 22, 2025, about six weeks before the first day of class.

What we do know:

• Public schools open regular enrollment for the next school year in the ministry's registration system (SIRE) on November 8, under the current calendar (La Hora).
• Enrollment in public schools is free, and the ministry asks families to report any fee to its 1503 hotline (AGN).
• Guatemala holds general elections in 2027, and the electoral authority expects to use 3,110 to 3,200 schools as polling places; the ministry says it does not expect an impact on the school year (La Hora).

What school supplies does the government provide in Guatemala's public schools?

Children do not receive a standard kit. The ministry allocates an amount per student, and each school's parents' organization handles the purchase and distribution. The 2026 amounts, in quetzales (AGN):

• School supplies: Q100 per preschool and primary student, and Q200 per secondary student, paid once a year.
• School meals: Q6 per student per day in preschool and primary, and Q4 in secondary.

The supply money buys items such as notebooks and pencils (AGN). In May 2026, Ministerial Agreement 2066-2026 expanded the program to cover computers, tablets and internet time (AGN). Even so, the schools in Las Delicias del Jobo still need supplies, backpacks, shoes and desks.

What do kids in Guatemala need to go back to school?

In the rural schools that Start with a Smile Project supports, this is what is on the list at the start of each year:

• Notebooks, pencils and pens.
• Crayons, markers and paints.
• Sturdy backpacks.
• Shoes: many children walk to school on dirt roads in the sun or the rain, and some cross rivers to get there.
• Children's books in Spanish.
• For the schools themselves: desks, recess games and a computer.

Every year, the project delivers school supplies to about 500 children in Las Delicias del Jobo, in Taxisco, Santa Rosa. If you want to put together kits, our guide to donating school supplies in Guatemala explains what works best, and the one on whether to bring donations or buy in Guatemala helps you decide where to shop.

When is the best time to donate school supplies to Guatemala?

Ideally, supplies arrive before the first day of class. Using the 2026 calendar as a guide, this is the order that works:

1. November: while enrollment opens in Guatemala, run a drive at your school, club or office with our school supply drive guide.
2. December and January: if you are spending the holidays in Antigua, your suitcase lands in time for a school year that opened on February 2 in 2026. Check what to bring to Guatemala to donate.
3. February to October: public school classes run until late October, so supplies that arrive during the year still get used.

Either way, message us before you travel so we can tell you what is needed at that moment.

How can I help kids in Guatemala go back to school?

• Donate through GoFundMe, the project's fundraiser. It is a personal GoFundMe campaign, so donations are not tax-deductible.
• Pack school supplies in your suitcase and message us to arrange how we receive them in Antigua Guatemala: WhatsApp +502 5562 3313, email amaliajarquin@gmail.com or our contact form.
• Get to know who you are helping: our guide to Las Delicias del Jobo and the Help Las Delicias page describe its 7 schools and what they still need.

The full list of what you can pack is on How to help. More than 700 children aged 6 to 16 study in those 7 schools, and every notebook counts.