When School Starts, So Does the Possession Schedule: Texas Standard Possession Orders for Austin County Parents
School is already in session in Austin County. Sealy ISD started August 12. Bellville ISD started August 13. For parents in Bellville, Sealy, Wallis, and households across the county line in Brenham or Waller County, that is often a change in the possession schedule too.
Summer possession is a separate block. It does not continue into the school year. Once the regular school term is in session, school-term nights, weekends, and holidays typically control unless the signed order says otherwise.
Does the summer possession schedule continue once school starts?
No. Extended summer possession is a vacation block. While it is in effect, it typically supersedes conflicting weekends and Thursdays. It cannot run into the next school year.
If April 1 notice is given, that period typically begins not earlier than the day after school is dismissed for summer and ends not later than seven days before school resumes. If no April 1 notice is given, the unmodified 100-miles-or-less schedule typically uses 6:00 p.m. July 1 through 6:00 p.m. July 31.
After that window closes, school-term rules operate again. Thursday time exists only during the regular school term.
What is a Texas Standard Possession Order — and does mine look like that?
A Texas Standard Possession Order is the default possession schedule for a child three or older.
People often say “custodial” and “noncustodial.” Those are not the order’s labels. Orders typically use managing conservator, possessory conservator, or joint managing conservators.
Many orders in Austin County follow the unmodified statutory SPO. Many others are customized. Some use 6:00 p.m. clock times. Some use the time school regularly dismisses and resumes.
Parents may possess the child at mutually agreed times arranged in advance. Absent agreement, the SPO terms in the signed order apply.
How does possession usually work on school nights and weekends?
The unmodified SPO treats households 100 miles or less from the child’s primary residence differently from households more than 100 miles apart. Waller County and Washington County households are often within 50 or 100 miles of Bellville or Sealy. Not always.
For 100 miles or less, weekends throughout the year typically begin at 6:00 p.m. on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month and end at 6:00 p.m. the following Sunday. That is Friday language. It is not the same as “first, third, and fifth weekend.”
Thursdays during the regular school term typically run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., unless that period is not in the child’s best interest. The default is same-evening time, not overnight, unless the order uses school-resume-Friday times. Thursdays do not apply in summer. They are not in the unmodified over-100-mile schedule.
If a weekend coincides with a student holiday or teacher in-service on a Monday during the regular school term — as determined by the school in which the child is enrolled — the weekend typically ends at 6:00 p.m. Monday. If that day falls on a Friday, the weekend typically begins at 6:00 p.m. Thursday. Holiday and vacation periods supersede conflicting weekends and Thursdays.
Over 100 miles, the possessory conservator typically has either the same Friday pattern or not more than one weekend per month of that conservator’s choice, with 14 days’ notice and a written election within 90 days after the households begin to reside more than 100 miles apart.
Unmodified defaults generally use 6:00 p.m. exchanges, with Thursday ending at 8:00 p.m. If the order uses school times, a school-term weekend can start at regular dismissal and end when school resumes, and Thursday can become an overnight ending Friday. Pickup is typically at the managing conservator’s residence, or at the child’s school if possession starts at regular dismissal. Campus dismissal times differ.
Why does my child’s actual school calendar matter?
In the unmodified SPO, “school” means the elementary or secondary school in which the child is enrolled. If the child is not enrolled, it means the public school district in which the child primarily resides. The child’s actual ISD calendar supplies the school-tied dates: dismissal, student holidays, teacher in-service days, and when school resumes. Siblings in two districts can have different clocks. County lines do not control the SPO. Miles from the child’s residence do.
What happens at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break?
Holiday periods typically apply regardless of the 100-mile split. They typically supersede a conflicting weekend or Thursday.
Thanksgiving in the unmodified SPO goes to the possessory conservator in odd-numbered years and the managing conservator in even-numbered years. It typically starts at 6:00 p.m. on the day the child is dismissed from school before Thanksgiving and ends at 6:00 p.m. on the following Sunday. 2026 is even, so the unmodified SPO gives this period to the managing conservator. Both Bellville ISD and Sealy ISD dismiss students Friday, November 20, 2026. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. “The following Sunday” is not self-explanatory on a week-long break. It can be read as November 22 or November 29. That is why attaching the calendar and clarifying before November helps. The unmodified SPO does not automatically cover “Thanksgiving week.”
Christmas is split at noon on December 28, not on Christmas Day. In even-numbered years, the possessory conservator typically has 6:00 p.m. on the day dismissed for Christmas vacation through noon December 28. The managing conservator typically has noon December 28 through 6:00 p.m. the day before school resumes. Odd years reverse. Christmas 2026 is even. Bellville ISD’s last student day before winter break is Friday, December 18, 2026 (early release). Students return Wednesday, January 6, 2027, after January 4–5 student holiday and professional learning days. Sealy ISD also dismisses early December 18. Students return Tuesday, January 5, 2027, after a January 4 teacher in-service. It is not always obvious whether a staff-only day is the day school “resumes.”
Spring break for households 100 miles or less goes to the possessory conservator in even-numbered years and the managing conservator in odd-numbered years, typically from 6:00 p.m. the day dismissed for spring vacation through 6:00 p.m. the day before school resumes. Spring 2027 is odd, so the unmodified 100-miles-or-less SPO gives that period to the managing conservator. Over 100 miles, the possessory conservator typically has spring vacation each year. Bellville ISD spring break is March 15–19, 2027, after a last preceding student day on Friday, March 12. Sealy ISD spring break is March 8–12, 2027. Sealy also lists a bad-weather/holiday date on March 5 and a teacher in-service on March 15. Those neighboring days can leave “dismissed” and “resumes” unclear.
Why attach the Bellville ISD or Sealy ISD calendar to our order?
Attaching the child’s actual ISD calendar is a practical step. It is not required by the Family Code. It prevents later conflict about which Friday is the first Friday, when Thanksgiving starts, and when school resumes.
✅ Check or attach:
Whether the possession schedule uses 6:00 p.m. times or school dismissal and resume times
The child’s enrolled campus and ISD — Bellville or Sealy — not a neighboring calendar
First, third, and fifth Fridays, not assumed “weekends”
Thanksgiving, the noon December 28 Christmas split, and spring break start and end language
The official 2026–27 ISD calendar for the child who is actually enrolled
What about Friday evening drop-offs and after-school activities?
As a practical matter, Friday evening exchanges under the unmodified 6:00 p.m. schedule typically occur at the managing conservator’s residence. If the order uses school start times, a school-term weekend can start at regular dismissal at the child’s school. There is no football, club, or late-bell rule in the Family Code.
Extracurriculars are not a possession schedule. The SPO does not schedule practices, games, or after-school care. A conservator generally has a right to attend school activities — lunches, performances, and field trips. That is a parental right. It is not extra possession time. Non-school extracurriculars are not created by the SPO. If activity logistics matter, they belong in a written agreement.
FAQ
Do different counties change the possession schedule?
No. County lines do not control the SPO. Miles from the child’s primary residence do. Geographic restrictions are a separate issue.
Can parents agree to a different plan this school year?
Yes. Parties may possess the child at mutually agreed times arranged in advance. Absent agreement, the terms in the signed order apply. A different long-term plan typically needs to be written into the order.
What if siblings attend two different districts?
Each child’s “school” is the school in which that child is enrolled. Bellville ISD and Sealy ISD do not share start dates, winter return dates, or spring break week. Siblings in two districts can have different clocks.
What if the order does not fit this school year?
The current signed order remains the schedule until it is changed. If this year’s calendar does not fit, it may need to be updated or clarified.
Need support with a Texas custody or parenting schedule this school year? Custody cases are emotionally intense — but the right plan can protect your child, reduce conflict, and create stable long-term structure. Call (979) 356-2295 or schedule a consultation.
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