So frustrated right now - school start date change

[Minnesota!]

If it were me, I would change the dates and if that was not possible I would cancel the trip.

Yep!

Our calendar for the following school year is always published in May. So, I just take a gamble on vacation dates.

 

[anniemae]

Our school calendar is not out yet for 2015-2016 year, they do it every spring so it should be out next month. I know people are holding off booking late summer vacations because labor day is so late this year. We usually start after labor day, but I am thinking we will start early this year.

I would at least find out what the penalties are to change then decide. If you keep it, like others said, I would be more concerned with the 8th grader.

 

[Colleen27]

Our district always approves the calendar well in advance. The 2016-2017 was approved last November.

The end of the year is adjusted if we have snow/cold days.

Man, I wish ours would do that! In the fall I'll have kids in three different schools (public, private HS and private elem) and not one of the schools has released their 2015-16 calendar yet. I know when two of the three start but what I'm anxiously awaiting is finding out if their spring breaks line up with one another and when they finish in June. I'm working on planning a very big trip (overseas) that I'd like to get started booking but I can't until I have calendars in hand to decide on dates.

 

[tasha99]

Where I live, the school calendar is often not out until June. I gambled with vacation days last year and lost, so my son missed the first 3 days of school. It was awkward as we were in a new town/school and DS is in high school. The saving grace was we were not enrolled yet, so he wasn't actually "absent." He's in high school, so he sweated getting the classes he wanted, but he did get them.

Our vacation last year was set in stone due to airfare and a final chance for my kids to visit their grandma, who was very sick. This year, the calendar is not out, of course, and we have gambled again. The stakes aren't as high, but I have non refundable flights to Florida and a whole lot of time and vacation points rolled into this trip. We are going. I'm sorry, but I find it pathetic that a district can't get their calendars out a year or two in advance. When I worked in a different district, we published calendars three years at a time. I would abide by the calendars if they were put out in advance, but I'm not letting an administrative choice made the very last minute affect my life too much. We booked this year based on historical dates. We shall see . . .

Edit:
As for the original question, I'd choose to miss some school. That's based on my son's personality though; ymmv.

 

[rotlex]

That is tough! I'm sure with Labor Day being so late is why they pushed it up. Could you bump your trip up a week?

Wish we could, but the bounce back\offer is only good starting on the days we are already scheduled for. I also already have all of my dining reservations setup\scheduled, which means now I'd have to redo all of them, and probably not get half of what we wanted.

My real frustration here is that over the past five years the school district keeps flopping starting before or after Labor Day. Pick one already! When I was a kid, it didn't matter WHEN Labor Day was, you didn't start school until after it. Why this sudden change all over the place.

Ah well, I'm foreseeing huge discussions at the dinner table this evening regarding this.

 

[sam_gordon]

That is one of my pet peeves with our school board also. Can someone give me a good reason why they can't come up with a calendar a year in advance? So in March of 2014, they release the calendar for 2015-16. In March of 2015, they release the calendar for 2016-17. Parents (along with teachers, administrators, etc) would know when school starts, when the breaks are, when school is supposed to end, etc.

OP, I'd probably change or cancel the trip also. I agree academically it's probably a bigger issue for the 8th grader, but it could also be an issue for the 1st. Are they riding the bus? What's the procedure to get from the bus (or car) to the classroom? From the classroom to the bus at the end of the day? All these "little" things that everyone is learning the first couple of days your child wouldn't learn until day 4.

Obviously, it's your choice what to do.

 

[anniemae]

Wish we could, but the bounce back\offer is only good starting on the days we are already scheduled for. I also already have all of my dining reservations setup\scheduled, which means now I'd have to redo all of them, and probably not get half of what we wanted.

My real frustration here is that over the past five years the school district keeps flopping starting before or after Labor Day. Pick one already! When I was a kid, it didn't matter WHEN Labor Day was, you didn't start school until after it. Why this sudden change all over the place.

Ah well, I'm foreseeing huge discussions at the dinner table this evening regarding this.

You know, given this info, I would say keep the trip. I would contact the teachers and get their thoughts. Could you knock a day or two off the end so they would only miss 2 days of school? I also don't know what the deal is with LD. I know some districts HAVE to wait until after LD because the teachers contracts specifically state they can't start before LD. I think other districts just have to get the certain number of days in sometimes they can start after and sometimes before, depends on how they can get the required days in and make it work. They also have to hammer out the other breaks too. Like for Christmas break this year the kids had 2 solid weeks off because of how Christmas and New Years fell. Other years they have a week and a half. That all calculates into getting to the required number of days for the school year.

 

[kamik86]

I haven't read all the posts but some things to think about.

Where I live 8th grade is the first year in a new school (a few years ago middle schools were closed and kids now attend elementary until 7th and then high schools starting in 8th grade) the first four days at a new school would be when everyone else is learning where everything is how the new school works etc. I think it would be really hard to miss that.

Even without being in a new school this is still the time that teachers would explain class policies (do they accept late homework? Is homework graded? Are you allowed to eat in class? Are you allowed to leave the class? ) All that sort of thing. As well as if the students get to pick there own seats when that is done. When the teacher and class is introduced (more important if this is the first year where other schools were combined so alot of new faces) etc.

Have you asked your child in 8th grade what would happen if they missed? They would be able to tell you if these things would be a big deal to them.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ugh, we still don't have our 2015-16 calendar, nor the date of HS registration, which is historically sometime late in July.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I would keep the trip and just email teachers and let them know. My guess is you won't be the only one in that situation. If there is anyway to get work for your 8th grader before the trip, maybe she can do some on the trip (plane ride, etc.). If not, keep that first weekend clear and have her get caught up. I'm not usually a fan of missing school for vacations but for the first 4 days of school and a late notice with the calendar, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the kids.

 

[havaneselover]

Glad Virginia doesn't allow school to start until after Labor Day (without an exception). I like traveling the last week of the summer. I try to travel around holidays to optimize my vacation time. Also it's often a lot cheaper than one week earlier (on DCL, for example).

OP, I would reschedule. Once my dd hit middle school we don't intentionally miss school.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Did your 1st grader go to all-day kindergarten? Did your 8th grader go to the same school for seventh grade?

Imagine your 1st grader walking in to class 4 days after the other kids, not knowing where their desk was, who they are sitting by, where to put their things, what the schedule is for the day. All the other kids have had 4 days to adapt and now your child is the in the spotlight while the teacher catches them up. Some kids don't mind that kind of situation. Some do?

Same thing for the 8th grader. They are going to walk in to each class and ask for their books, their seat, and any missed assignments. Is that going to bother them?

I get your frustration, but depending on the kid this could start the school year off on the wrong foot. Disney will still be there if you decide to postpone.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

OP, consider yourself lucky! At least you got this much notice. We're still waiting to hear! I have a high school soccer player, so his practices will start even before school does. So there's a whole domino effect for us. We always, always start after Labor Day, but I'm afraid with the late holiday, they'll change that this year.

There's NO WAY, though, I'd let either of my guys miss the first four days of school. I also have an an 8th grader and I can't imagine trying to catch up on everything they do the first few days.

But you mentioned a bounce back. The Free Dining bounce back from last year starts 8/20. I know, because we booked the earliest possible! Do you have something different? I'd just go earlier and be back for the 31st! We actually booked ours for much longer than we know we'll stay, just to guarantee our slot there. Once I finally get the school calendar--probably either in April or May!!!--I'll settle on dates and adjust our stay accordingly. This is also why I wasn't able to book flights as soon as Southwest released them and just sit back here watching prices climb! Very frustrating!

 

[undertheradar]

From our experience we would move the trip. We took a school football team trip to Hawaii. Players missed the first few days of school, as well as textbook distribution. Numerous players from our 3 football teams were without textbooks for weeks until replacements were obtained.

 

[JanaDee]

Our school calendar is out through the 2016-2017 school year and people here are well aware of the state law regarding when school can start.

 

[bjscheel]

Definitely see what your kids think. In 7th grade my oldest had a hard time with missed days for being sick, so in 8th grade she was paranoid about missing school. Now in high school, she is much more relaxed about it . I would be inclined to change it for first days of school even if you have to pay more/redo ADRs. But then, ADRs are not a big deal to us, we might do one or two in a week.

Our school has not set next year's calendar yet as the state legislature passed a new law about not starting until the week of 9/1. Many schools start mid-August and it was interfering with the State Fair. Now that law is up in the air as there has been a new proposal to let them start in August but after the State Fair is over. So the school districts hands are really tied right now not knowing what the governor is going to end up allowing.

 

[cvjw]

Our school system did the same thing a few years ago. We had fall break approved for 3 calendar years. New school board comes in and thinks fall break is unfair to underprivileged kids and takes it away within a few months of the break. We had a Disney trip planned, and canceled it. No way I would have an 8th grader miss four days of school.

Our parents were livid that the school board thought they had the power to do this. Fast forward to the next election. All of the anti-fall break board members were voted out and we have fall break back!! Pays to vote!

 

[kandb]

The same thing happened to us. I made flights going down to Florida on 8/26. I planned on returning on Tuesday, 9/8 because our children always start the Wednesday or Thursday after
labor day. We live in Northern NJ. This year they decided to start early. School is starting 9/3 (half day) and the following day 9/4, Friday is a full day. I hadn't purchased our flights coming
home but we are now flying home on labor day, the 7th. My children (6th grade, 1st grade), will be missing the first 2 days of school. If I was you I would not cancel and your children will
get caught up.

 

[kandb]

Why, underpriviledged children don't like having a fall break? That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Even if they can't afford to go away, their families can still do things to
enjoy their time off. What morons.

 

[BrianL]

I dunno, I pretty much think you should just go on the vacation. It's 4 days, not an insurmountable absence. Plus, it's pretty unfair for them to change the days and break precedent like that. You know your kids best though and know what they can handle. If they are anxious about missing the time or have other concerns then do what makes them feel the most comfortable.