Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students learn from home on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. It's Election Day and the second of three planned Digital Learning Days on the district's 2026 to 2027 student calendar, which lists the date as "Election Day/Digital Learning Day." Every other weekday this week is a regular school day.
Here's the rest of the week, checked against GCPS, school and Gwinnett County pages on October 29, 2026.
Sunday, November 1, 2026: clocks fall back and the GSMST window opens
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 1, 2026, so clocks go back one hour. Monday morning will be a little lighter at the bus stop.
The lottery application window for the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST) opens the same day. The GSMST school calendar lists the window as November 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027, for the 2027 to 2028 freshman class. It's open to current 8th graders with custodial residency in Gwinnett outside Buford's city limits who will be promoted to 9th grade by June 1, 2027, and are enrolled in Enhanced Algebra: Concepts and Connections or higher, according to GSMST's eligibility page. Students also need a 90% or higher first semester grade and a qualifying math test score. GSMST says the requirements "are subject to change at any time" and that an application with false information will be voided.
The application form is linked at the bottom of GSMST's Application Eligibility Requirements page, which gives the deadline as Friday, January 15, 2027, at 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: no school buildings, but school is in session
All GCPS students learn from home on Tuesday, November 3. The district's Digital Learning Days page says students on planned DLDs complete assignments "at their own pace" and should plan ahead so their district issued devices are home for the day. Send the Chromebook home Monday.
Lunch is covered at some schools. A Minor Elementary post updated October 30, 2026 says bus drivers will deliver meals to every bus stop on November 3, from about 10:45 a.m. to noon, free for anyone 18 and under. Check your school's website or ParentSquare to see if yours is doing the same.
Assignments go up in Google Classroom through the Student Portal. Posting times vary by school. Lilburn Elementary says its teachers post by 9 a.m., and Crews Middle School says 8:30 a.m. GCPS says attendance information comes from your school or teacher, and students are expected to turn in the work.
It's also Election Day. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern, according to the county's call for special election. Advance in person voting in Gwinnett ended Friday, October 30, according to the county's advance voting page. No Gwinnett County Board of Education seat is on the ballot. The school related items are the race for Georgia State School Superintendent and a Gwinnett special election question on the school tax homestead exemption.
That question, set by the county's call for special election dated May 19, 2026, asks whether the existing additional $2,000 homestead exemption from Gwinnett County School District taxes for "certain public service employees" should be expanded "to also apply to disabled veterans and all employees of the Gwinnett County School District and the Buford City School District." If more than half of voters say yes, it takes effect January 1, 2027. Find your polling place with the county's polling place locator.
Wednesday through Saturday, November 4 to 7, 2026
Students are back in buildings Wednesday, November 4. The district calendar has no early release or holiday the rest of the week.
Deadlines to put on the fridge
SOTA, the School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High School, takes applications for its Conservatory and Fellows programs through Monday, November 30, 2026, according to a GCPS announcement dated October 7, 2026. Conservatory requires an audition or portfolio and is mainly for current 8th graders. Fellows needs no audition but requires eligibility for a permissive transfer. SOTA Spotlight Night, with performances, tours and audition tips, is Monday, November 9, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Stage Theatre. Auditions are January 4, 2027.
GSMST holds 8th grade information sessions at 7 p.m. at the school, 970 McElvaney Lane in Lawrenceville. The GSMST calendar lists them on Thursday, November 12, 2026, Tuesday, December 8, 2026, and Thursday, January 7, 2027, which is a make up session. The GSMST Admissions page assigns clusters to each night. The November 12 session is for the Archer, Brookwood, Dacula, Grayson, Mill Creek, Mountain View, Parkview, Shiloh and South Gwinnett clusters. The December session is for the Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Discovery, Duluth, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge and Seckinger clusters. A Moore Middle School post calls that date "Wednesday, December 8," but December 8, 2026, falls on a Tuesday, which is the day the GSMST calendar shows.
Looking ahead to next week
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Veterans Day, is a regular school day in GCPS. Neither the student calendar nor the approved board calendar lists it as a holiday. Thanksgiving break runs Monday, November 23, through Friday, November 27, 2026.
The Gwinnett County Board of Education holds its work session Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 6 p.m. and its business meeting Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Instructional Support Center, 437 Old Peachtree Road NW in Suwanee, according to the board page.
If your child's school hasn't said when Tuesday's assignments go live, check its website or ParentSquare on Monday, or call the school. The GCPS central office number is 678 301 6000.