Milton elementary families have less than five weeks to finish a required summer assignment before the 2026-27 school year begins, and the district is already signaling what's ahead for fall.

The MPS Summer Reading Challenge, a joint program with the Milton Public Library, runs through Wednesday, August 19, on the Beanstack platform. All students who finished grades K-5 in 2025-26 must participate. A celebration event featuring a magician is set for Wednesday, August 12, at 3 p.m., with prizes drawn on August 19. Incoming kindergarteners are encouraged but not required to join. District elementary librarian Mr. Coben taught lessons about the challenge to all classes before the school year ended, according to the MPS website.

Students entering grades 6 through 8 also have a summer reading requirement and will complete a related assignment with their English teacher when school resumes.

Milton High School students enrolled in AP classes received access to their summer assignments through Google Classrooms, the district said.

Grades 1-12 return on Wednesday, August 26. Preschool and kindergarten students start Monday, August 31, according to the MPS bus registration page.

Milton High School, led by Principal Karen Cahill, enrolled 1,127 students in grades 9-12 during the 2025-26 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

On Monday, July 13, Milton Public Schools posted its first back-to-school communication of the summer: fall open houses are scheduled for all district schools, including Milton High School. The events will be held in the evening and are open to parents and guardians. MHS students are also welcome at the high school event.

No dates have been set. The district said each school's principal will share details in September.

The district followed the same pattern last summer, posting a similar announcement on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, before principals released specific September dates. Families should watch for communications from their school after Labor Day.

The approved 2026-27 school calendar is available on the MHS website, where a link was posted Thursday, June 25.