Secretary of the Lutsk City Council Andriy Rozumovsky has announced a change in the autumn school break schedule for the Lutsk hromada. According to him, the corresponding decision has already been approved at the local government level, and students will begin their break earlier than planned under national guidelines. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, referencing the official's post on Facebook.
Dates and duration of the vacation
According to the adopted decision, the autumn break for students in the Lutsk hromada will start on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Children will return to the educational process on Monday, November 2. Thus, the total duration of the break will be 11 days — four days longer than the standard one-week vacation recommended by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Rozumovsky assured that the decision was made taking into account the current situation and wished residents a “calm and safe break.”
Reasons for the schedule change
Although the official did not disclose the full list of factors influencing the decision in his publication, the context points to the priority of safety. In the Lutsk hromada, as in many regions of Ukraine, the educational process in 2026 takes place amid regular air raid alerts and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks. Starting the break early and extending it helps minimize the time children spend in educational institutions during periods of heightened risk. Concluding his address, Rozumovsky thanked parents for their understanding and emphasized that “in these difficult times, it is important to consider the needs of the hromada and care for the safety of children.”
Operation of preschool institutions and additional security measures
Importantly, preschool education institutions in Lutsk will operate as usual. Rozumovsky specified that parents who have such a need will be able to bring their children to kindergartens without restrictions. In addition, local authorities announced additional inspections of shelter conditions in two facilities: preschool education institution No. 40 and music school No. 3. The goal is to improve conditions for children during air raid alerts if necessary.
Context: no uniform vacation schedule in Ukraine
The Lutsk hromada's decision fits into the general practice of Ukrainian education: legislation does not establish mandatory vacation dates for all schools, and the Ministry of Education only provides recommendations. In 2026, the baseline period advised by the MES is from October 26 to November 1. However, each school and local hromada has autonomy and the right to adjust the schedule based on weather conditions, power supply situations, and safety. In a number of regions, vacations have already been canceled or postponed, while in others they started earlier than recommended dates, as happened in Lutsk.
