Friday, February 6, 2026

PUSD Schools Closed Monday for Lincoln’s Birthday, With Presidents Day to Follow

California is among a handful of states that observe the 16th president’s birthday as a separate school holiday

All Pasadena Unified School District campuses will be closed Monday, February 9, for Lincoln’s Birthday — the first of two consecutive Monday holidays that will shorten the school week for families in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre.

Presidents Day falls the following Monday, February 16, meaning PUSD students will have two, four-day school weeks in a row. Classes resume Tuesday, February 10, after the Lincoln’s Birthday observance.

The closure is mandated by California Education Code Section 37220, which requires public schools to close on the Monday or Friday of the week containing February 12 — the actual date of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 1809. California is one of a small number of states, including Connecticut, Illinois, and New York, that observe Lincoln’s birthday as a separate holiday rather than folding it into the federal Presidents Day.

The state code also directs that “all public schools and educational institutions throughout the state shall hold exercises in memory of Abraham Lincoln” on the last school day before the closure, according to the California Education Code.

In a communication about the closure, PUSD noted Lincoln’s belief that education was essential to democracy and opportunity, according to a district statement.

The next scheduled school closure after Presidents Day is Cesar Chavez Day on Monday, March 30, according to the PUSD calendar.