3/4's of nations schools now starting before Sept

[dcibrando]

copied from another website...

FOR MORE FAMILIES with kids in school, August is the new September.

In a shift that is confounding summer vacation plans and sparking outcries from both parents and the tourism industry, school districts are increasingly pushing the academic year into the lazy days of August -- with some districts starting classes as early as next Monday.

In certain parts of the country, such as the South and parts of the Midwest, many public schools have been starting before Labor Day for some time. But even in those areas, many are seeing the start date increasingly moved up.

This year, the two biggest school districts in Florida are starting school at record-early dates. Most of the schools in both Broward County and Miami-Dade County public school districts -- together, about 600 schools -- are starting next week, Aug. 8.

In Texas, where districts must get permission from the state to start classes before the week on which Aug. 21 falls, over 700 districts have received waivers for school to start in early to mid-August this year. That's compared with over 100 districts that received permission last year.

And classes in South Carolina have been progressively starting earlier over the past decade. This year, the vast majority of the state's 85 districts are starting by Aug. 15. That is compared with only two districts that started by then 10 years earlier.

In all, about three-fourths of the nation's public schools now start before Sept. 1. That's up from about 50% that started that early in the late 1980s, according to a survey by Market Data Retrieval, an education research firm.

 

[califred]

Oddly enough, NC actually changed this year from an August 5th to an August 25th start. So our kids got an extra long summer this year.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I wonder if it has to do with the tons of Jewish holidays in September. I know for public schools they have a holiday every week in September. Not a good way to start the school year in my opinion.

 

[Tamie]

I think that that is crazy. I know in Wisconsin that they supposedly pass a law that they couldnt start school until after Labor Day. In my kids district it only happened that way once. It was great. I usually end up having to take the kids out of school on the Friday before Labor Day so that we can do our final vacation of the summer (ATV riding). I really liked it when it started after Labor Day. Now that my DD16 and in High School, we cant pull her out for stuff like that. It is a shame that the districts pushes kids into school earlier and earlier every year. I know that two of the major attractions near us Six Flags and Wisconsin Dells really hurt when this happens.

 

[snowiit]

I wonder if it has to do with the tons of Jewish holidays in September. I know for public schools they have a holiday every week in September. Not a good way to start the school year in my opinion.

Does it depend on where you live, about the Jewish holidays? I live in the midwest and have never heard of days off for the entire school for a Jewish holiday. No problem with it. Just wondered about it.

Nancy

 

[csaag]

That's why we've been booking our vacations the last week of August.
With the kids going back to school it;s not as crowded.
My kids go back at the very end of August. The last 2 years we went to Busch Gardens in VA and the very uncrowded.
This year were going to Disney &while I don't expect it to be 'very uncrowded' I'm hoping it will be better than late June/mid July.

 

[cinder1]

Well, I'm in Texas and 2 of my kids start Mon the 8th (one is in a private school that starts the 15th). Most of us around here love the early start date. First of all, it is extremely hot here so outdoor activities aren't real fun. The kids get out of school the 3rd week of May when the weather is a bit cooler. I'd rather have that time out of school than the time in Aug. Also, our school district has a fall break in Oct, a wonderful time to vacation just about anywhere and our secondary kids finish their 1st semester and have finals before Christmas break. The state legislature is trying to change the start date to after Labor day, ending the school year by June 7, which would mean no more fall breaks, much less time off at Christmas (they're talking about 1 week off) and they are even talking about only 3 or 4 days off for spring break!! I personally do not think the tourism industry (which is highly pushing for this change) should dictate when our kids go to school.

Sorry if I sound a bit irritated about it, but it's a hot topic around here.

 

[cinderkeli]

My kids start on Sept 6th. They always start right after Labor Day here. I have to say I wish mine did start in Aug and get out of school in early or mid May but that also means the schools here would have to put air conditioners in them and I don't know when that would ever happen.

 

[oogieboogie]

School starts August 31 here, why? Don't have a foggiest clue.

 

[LadyLuc361]

This is why we are going on our vacation the last week of August. We are hoping a lot of people have to be in school. However, if I was a kid I would not be happy about going to school so early, but getting out mid May would be nice.

 

[princess mom of 4]

Kids in our county started school on July 29!!! This was the second earliest start date in Georgia. They call it "balanced calendar", but that is just code for "year round school"... I didn't like it at first, but now they get a whole week off in early October, which has become our prime time WDW week! Not so hot, less crowded so you get to do more for your money!

 

[ILuvWDWorld]

My kids started school back this past Monday, August 1 (Georgia). We love our extended school schedule. We'll be finished before Memorial Day. We also have week long breaks in September (vacation to WDW ), November, February, & April. We also have 2 weeks in December with a Monday off from time to time.

Basically we have 9-week summers and then a week out of school every 6 weeks, not including Christmas/Holiday 2-week break.

We love that we have plenty of opportunity to take trips in the summer, swim, etc. but we also like the other opportunities to take trips when it's not as crowded and spread the trips out through the year instead of cramming it all into the summer time.

People in our county either love it or hate it. It works well for our family, though. I grew up in this county. I always started school by mid-August and finished the Friday following Memorial Day.

 

[LiteBrite]

I live in the Pensacola area, and our schools started this past Monday - August 1st. (It made me wonder if they're just building in some hurricane days on the front end this year.)

 

[ScoJo15]

My kids started school back this past Monday, August 1. We love our extended school schedule. We'll be finished before Memorial Day. We also have week long breaks in September (vacation to WDW ), November, February, & April. We also have 2 weeks in December with a Monday off from time to time.

Basically we have 9-week summers and then a week out of school every 6 weeks, not including Christmas/Holiday 2-week break.

We love that we have plenty of opportunity to take trips in the summer, swim, etc. but we also like the other opportunities to take trips when it's not as crowded and spread the trips out through the year instead of cramming it all into the summer time.

People in our county either love it or hate it. It works well for our family, though. I grew up in this county. I always started school by mid-August and finished the Friday following Memorial Day.

I am in the same situation here in Cherokee County, Georgia....they went back on Aug. 1 but we are so looking forward to our trip in September due to her week off then.

I personally love the new calendar and would rather take a week in Sept and a week in Feb instead of fighting the crowds during the hot summer months.

 

[buddy&wooz]

Does it depend on where you live, about the Jewish holidays? I live in the midwest and have never heard of days off for the entire school for a Jewish holiday. No problem with it. Just wondered about it.

Nancy

In this area (NJ) the kids are given the early autumn Jewish holidays off, but I don't think it's common through most of the country. Personally it doesn't bother me at all to have days off early in the school year, helps the transition!

Around here schools still start after Labor Day, but as more schools get upgraded and have air conditioning installed it wouldn't surprise me to see that change. I hope not though, something weird to me about school in August!

 

[trirae]

It probably wouldn't bother me at all. But I agree with one poster who said they would need to put air conditioning in. I teach college (where we do have air conditioning, thank goodness), and my students were giving presentations in the local schools in early June, and it was outrageously hot to everyone. I can't even imagine the kids in those classrooms all through August without air. At least in my district, it's a major bone of contention though, and many people are vehemently opposed to the cost it would take to add it. So, for that reason, I hope we continue to start a little later--typically a day or two before labor day.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

my DD started school today. I don't mind that they start early. It's too hot & humid to do a lot outside here anyway. By starting earlier, we get a week fall break in October. We love to vacation then (to WDW!!!). We also get out a week before Memorial Day.

 

[mbb]

Our kids go back to school the week after Labour Day..the 7th or 8th.

We'll have a long weekend for CDN Thanksgiving in October,
a day off for Remembrance Day in November,
2 weeks at Christmas,
March Break the week of the 15th
Good Friday, and Easter Monday
Victoria Day in May....

And school's out the 28th of June this year.

I like the 6 weeks on, 1 week off idea!! My kids would too

 

[taximomfor4]

I wonder if it has to do with the tons of Jewish holidays in September. I know for public schools they have a holiday every week in September. Not a good way to start the school year in my opinion.

Our districts around here, except one, only have 1 day off in September (Labor Day).

They are starting, most of them, 8/29 or 8/30 this year. Even the one district that I know moved up their starting date to 8/22 (my dh's district of course, so no free dining for us) still only has the standard Ohio 180 school days. His district gets out early in June.

Beth

 

[Harambe]

Kids in our county started school on July 29!!! This was the second earliest start date in Georgia. They call it "balanced calendar", but that is just code for "year round school"... I didn't like it at first, but now they get a whole week off in early October, which has become our prime time WDW week! Not so hot, less crowded so you get to do more for your money!

The good 'ol "silver lining". Good for you!