School is back today in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland – and this year the calendar delivers the longest possible school year for the east.
Classes begin on September 1st and run until July 3rd, while western states start on September 8th and finish on July 10th. That timing follows Austria’s School Time Act, which fixes day one as the first Monday in September and the last day no later than July 3rd in the east, as reported by ORF.
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Who’s returning and how Vienna is staffing classrooms
Vienna alone welcomes about 253,000 pupils today, including more than 20,000 first-graders. City officials say the teacher shortage has eased, with 1,250 vacancies filled in July and a further 240 in August. However, 22 class-lead posts were still open at the start of the term.
Primary schools also receive assistance from 18 new junior teachers through Teach for Austria.
The city is doubling German-language support capacity and rolling out 600 mental-health workshops this year, covering bullying, eating disorders, phone addiction, performance pressure, depression, suicidality and anxiety, according to wien.ORF.at.
Key dates for your family calendar
The first breather comes with the autumn holidays between National Day (October 26th) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd). Because both fall on a Sunday this year, there are no built-in “bridge days” to stretch the break.
Christmas holidays: December 24th–January 6th.
Semester break (east): Vienna & Lower Austria, February 2nd–8th; Burgenland, February 9th–15th. (Other states follow in the weeks after.)
Easter holidays: March 28th–April 6th.
Spring long-weekend potentials: Ascension Day on May 14th; Pentecost holidays from May 23rd to 25th; Corpus Christi on June 4th – with the option for schools to add an autonomous day, as reported by ORF.
Last day of school: July 3rd in the east (July 10th in the west).
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Safety on the school run
Expect to see more uniformed personnel at crossings this week.
Around 500 police officers are being deployed across Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland to secure routes. Older pupils are acting as school crossing guards, and many primary schools have published route plans, with tricky junctions being monitored directly, according to wien.ORF.at.
A spring 2025 survey for the ÖAMTC and the Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit (KFV) found nearly a third of parents consider the route to school challenging, citing heavy traffic, confusing intersections, missing zebra crossings and the risk of distraction.
Authorities recommend practising the walk with children in advance, as reported by ORF.
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Costs and where to get help
Back-to-school is a financial stretch for many families.
On average, households spend around €2,200 per child per school year; private tutoring totalled €168 million nationwide last year.
The Chamber of Labour (AK) advises comparing prices – especially for branded items – to save money, and Caritas is again running its school-start support for low-income households, according to ORF.
What’s different in Vienna classrooms this year
Alongside the staffing push, Vienna is doubling capacity for German-language support and prioritising reading promotion, democracy education and financial literacy.
The city also plans to host 600 mental-health workshops throughout the school year. While a handful of class-lead posts remained vacant going into day one, officials say summer hiring and targeted programmes have eased the pressure overall, as reported by wien.ORF.at.
This year’s “extra week” in the east is a calendar quirk built into the School Time Act. Because September 1st lands on a Monday, the east starts at the earliest possible moment; with the last day fixed no later than July 3rd, pupils spend a week more in class than in some recent years.
The west follows the standard one-week offset (September 8th to July 10th), according to ORF.
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Quick checklist for families
Log the breaks now: Autumn, Christmas, semester week, and Easter dates above – plus Ascension, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi – to plan care and travel accordingly.
Practise the route: walk it with your child, pointing out crossings, and agree on a ‘no phones on the move’ rule. Expect extra police and school patrols this week.
Stretch the budget: Compare prices for supplies, consider second-hand options, and check Caritas support if needed.
Watch for school emails: Schools may confirm any off days later in the term, which can turn spring dates into long weekends.
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