Is School Starting so much earlier this year, or is it just me?

[momacacia]

The school district we are in is staring August 10. Now, we don't follow the ps schedule, but still! I have mom friends who have kids in ps and I was completely :ohmy: !

And, I feel the summer has gone so fast. Granted, it has been our busiest summer with the big girls in more things than ever, my first summer with 4 kids and the 10mo is not winning awards for nighttime sleep, and I've got 3 for the first time doing some form of schooling this year, so maybe it is just me, but it feels like I'm in the twilight zone.

 

But, what is with this earlier and earlier start to school? It just feels uncivilized. August is still summer! When I was in school we NEVER started before Labor Day. School starts in the Fall. Fall starts in September, ergo, school does not start until September. I just feel like I never got that Summer Refresher, and school is being foisted back on me again.

 

#whining

[AK_Mom4]

It's just you.

 

Ours is starting the usual time. DS20 is starting a week later than usual.

[antsam]

Florida schools only had an 8 week Summer break. They start back August 10 this year. They get out about two weeks earlier next year though (before Memorial Day).

 

Jodie

[bettyandbob]

Our PS has always started after Labor Day.

 

When I took dd to orientation for college we drove an elementary school with sign announcing an August 3 start. We were horrified.

[heartlikealion]

They start even sooner at some of the schools here. But ds' first day is a half day.

 

(But August is normal around here)

Edited August 3, 2016 by heartlikealion

[Garga]

There was a thread about this about a year ago. It seems that when you start depends on where you live. Some places have been starting in early/mid August for years. Other places wait longer. It's all over the map.

 

Your area might have started later and is now starting earlier, but there are lots of places that have been starting early for a while now.

 

I wish I could start my homeschool later, but we take off a couple of weeks in Dec and in March so I'm stuck starting in August, or else we'll never be done by June. I think schools do that, too: have more time off during the year, rather than all at once in the summer.

 

Also, it could be due to air conditioning. Schools with a/c can start earlier. When I was a kid, there were almost no schools with a/c, so we had to start in Sept. The first few weeks (and last few weeks) of school were just brutal with the heat. We'd all sit there, red in the face, trying to focus. Some teachers brought in fans that would blow the sweat off our brows, but then it was noisy. Last I heard, fans were banned for some reason.

 

My old high school still doesn't have a/c. I'll have to see when they start school. I wonder if it's later in the year because of the heat. It's muggy and miserably in my old neighborhood until late Sept.

[Lakeside]

It seems that way to me too.  I've seen people in different areas of the country posting first day of school pictures from yesterday!  I know that some areas go back mid-August, but I've never known any school to start August 1st. 

[mom2scouts]

Yes! All of our local schools moved the starting dates to the middle of August. They used to start after Labor Day, moved to the end of August, moved a week earlier, and this year moved another week earlier. I shouldn't say *all* local schools. Our county fair has always been near the end of August and some students would just have to miss the first week of school. Now they have to miss the second week of school. One rural community put up such a fuss about it that the school board moved the start date back a week. Oh, and none of the schools around here have air conditioning.

 

I'm annoyed that every local pool and swimming lake closes next week because of school starting! It's the hottest part of the year and there's no place to swim.

Edited August 3, 2016 by mom2scouts

[Katy]

I have a cousin whose daughter goes to the school I went to.  When I went, school started the second week of August.  Now they've pushed it back, and reduced days off.  The kids are now out by Memorial day and start the week after Labor day.  I am under the impression they did this because they now have funding for year round breakfasts and lunches, so the school board no longer has concerns for kids that go hungry over the summer.  This is in a fairly upscale area, but is also where there are a large number of shelters for single moms and group homes for children waiting for a foster home.

[mamiof5]

Some of the PS around here started a week ago, and others start tomorrow

[PeacefulChaos]

:rolleyes:

 

 

Every year someone somewhere says something about this lol.

 

 

IMO, this change is a good, much needed one.  We don't live in a land of harvests anymore, and our school scheduled shouldn't be dictated by such.  Of course, in a state such as mine, they considered year round schooling a few years ago but there were complaints because of 'tourist season'.  :glare:  Give me a break.

 

 

When I lived in VA in elementary school, we started in September and got out in June.  June is also summer, as many people don't seem to recall when this comes up. :lol:  

 

When I moved to MO, I had a schedule that makes much more sense to me - started in August and got out in May.  Because in May, everyone is pretty much done and ready to be out of there anyway.  And August is so darn hot that really, what is everyone going to do while they have that break just because it *should* go into September?  Sit in the air conditioning?  Geez, it's pretty smart to take that air conditioned mentality to school and actually get something worthwhile done.  :D

 

 

There is still ample summer break, and honestly, don't studies show that summer break is too long, anyway?  Retention over the summer isn't great.  Every kid and every school would probably benefit from changing the calendar entirely, but that's just not going to happen.  But in any case, getting out in May and going back in August is literally the way I've been seeing things done since the early 90s.  A few counties around us have just recently switched to it for some reason - behind the times I guess.

 

We start our school year the first Monday in August.  So obviously, when PS chooses to start has no effect on me - though apparently, judging by all the comments from 'friends' when we start, my school schedule has an effect on them.  Weird.  :rolleyes:

[PeacefulChaos]

 

 

I'm annoyed that every local pool and swimming lake closes next week because of school starting! It's the hottest part of the year and there's no place to swim.

 

 

^^ This, however, makes no sense whatsoever.  I've never heard of such a thing.

 

All swimming places where we are (where school starts in early to mid august) have kept the exact same hours, perhaps because of our 'tourist' location :rolleyes: - Memorial Day to Labor Day, open daily.  It makes no sense to me that any of that would change just because of a school calendar, but we also live in an area with a lot of people who swim who aren't school children.

SaveSave

Edited August 3, 2016 by PeacefulChaos

[klmama]

^^ This, however, makes no sense whatsoever.  I've never heard of such a thing.

 

All swimming places have kept the exact same hours, perhaps because of our 'tourist' location :rolleyes: - Memorial Day to Labor Day, open daily.  It makes no sense to me that any of that would change just because of a school calendar, but we also live in an area with a lot of people who swim who aren't school children.

 

Throughout much of the country, pools rely on high school students as lifeguards and most of the swimmers are children.  School starting means pools close, but that happens at the end of August.  I feel for those of you who live where school starts in early August! 

[Melissa B]

Florida schools only had an 8 week Summer break. They start back August 10 this year. They get out about two weeks earlier next year though (before Memorial Day).

 

Jodie

 

Florida schools don't have to start then, though most are. It is decided by each school board. I know my county and at least two others close to us have chosen to buck the system and start on August 15th/16th.  :001_smile:

 

I like the earlier start date. However, our city pools stay open until at least Halloween, if not all year. Having them close in early August would change my opinion.

[Carrie12345]

Throughout much of the country, pools rely on high school students as lifeguards and most of the swimmers are children.  School starting means pools close, but that happens at the end of August.  I feel for those of you who live where school starts in early August! 

 

Yup. I'm in a touristy area, but our small pools and lakes will be shortening hours and closing down very soon, as college kids go back to school.  Our public school starts the last week in August, so we can completely count out swimming after that.

 

The larger water parks/resorts don't have quite as much trouble, since they employ year-round.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Our PS started Aug 1. It gets earlier every year. I hate that all the pools and weekday movie matinees and summer things close because all the kids are in school. My kids are left with nothing to do.

[DawnM]

Our schools are starting later this year.  Our state just passed a law saying that school cannot start until the Monday after Aug. 25th and cannot end past June 9.  That makes for a rather tight schedule in between, where they have had to move teacher workdays to before or after the official school year for students.

 

Our school year starts August 29th for students.  

[Dmmetler]

It seems early to me, too. Unfortunately, school starting next week means some of the homeschool stuff does as well, so we can't just start later. So, a slow, rolling start over the next month it is!

[Joker]

We're one that has already started. We get two weeks off in October, two off for Christmas, and another two off for spring break, though. We get two months for summer. We love it.

[Zinnia]

Our pools close when public school starts, too.  They are open on weekends, but we lose our weekday hours.

One pool (the YMCA outdoor pool) continues to open each day during the week.  Last year, they opened at noon, and it was a glorious, homeschool only heaven for a couple of hours each afternoon.  This year, though, the plan is to open at 4pm starting next week.  At least we'll get a little bit, but not quite the same.  

 

When I was a kid, we always started the Monday before Labor Day.  And our parents complained about that.  ;)  They used to say how it was crazy to have one week of school followed by a 3 day weekend.  But we sort of liked it, and it was better than this early August start now.

 

[MercyA]

But, what is with this earlier and earlier start to school? It just feels uncivilized. August is still summer! When I was in school we NEVER started before Labor Day. School starts in the Fall. Fall starts in September, ergo, school does not start until September. 

 

Same here. Now they start near the beginning of August. It seems sad to me, but one of the things I love about homeschooling is setting our own schedule. 

[Pawz4me]

Our schools are starting later this year.  Our state just passed a law saying that school cannot start until the Monday after Aug. 25th and cannot end past June 9.  That makes for a rather tight schedule in between, where they have had to move teacher workdays to before or after the official school year for students.

 

Our school year starts August 29th for students.  

 

That law has been n effect for quite a few years. It was passed (IMO) mostly because of lobbying from the tourist industry in the mountains and along the coast who need high school workers through Labor Day weekend. Way back when the boys were n public (elementary) school they started early in August and got out around May 20. That was great because we could get a vacation in before the weather got too hot and before everything got so crowded. August is a totally wasted month here anyway--too hot and humid to do much outside. If I had kids in school I'd much rather they have time off in late May than in August.

[ktgrok]

I'm very seasonal...the scents I use in my house change, my moods change, etc etc with the seasons. It's a big deal to me, I don't know why. So I really prefer to have school start in the fall, not partway through the summer. I like having that shift in season to go with the shift in focus. That said, we always started the last week of august when I was growing up, and now they are starting August 15th. We also started on a Wednesday, so it was a short week the first week, which I think I'm going to start doing with our homeschool. Helps to ease into it :)

 

Last year we started September 1st I think? Despite public schools starting earlier. But this year I'll start August 15th with the idea of taking some extra time off in December and then again in March when the newbie arrives. 

 

Oh, and as for schools with air conditioning, it's been shown that it would save a lot of money to have a later start, as it is more expensive to air condition in August than June. But no one seems to care. 

[lmrich]

School started here August 1!! That is early. Just too early. AND they do not get out for Christmas break until December 22! Those poor teachers. (they get a week at Thanksgiving and a week in September off)

[DawnM]

We're one that has already started. We get two weeks off in October, two off for Christmas, and another two off for spring break, though. We get two months for summer. We love it.

 

 

I would love this!  A nice Fall break would be heaven.

[DawnM]

That law has been n effect for quite a few years. It was passed (IMO) mostly because of lobbying from the tourist industry in the mountains and along the coast who need high school workers through Labor Day weekend. Way back when the boys were n public (elementary) school they started early in August and got out around May 20. That was great because we could get a vacation in before the weather got too hot and before everything got so crowded. August is a totally wasted month here anyway--too hot and humid to do much outside. If I had kids in school I'd much rather they have time off in late May than in August.

 

Are you sure about the start date passing before this year?  Last year our schools started on the 24th, which would be before the 25th, and this year I thought they would start on the 22nd, but I was told they couldn't this year.

[Night Elf]

My county starts school tomorrow, August 4th, but there is a week break at the end of Sept. I think.

Dd18's state college starts August 11th, which really surprised me as my ds20's state college doesn't start until August 22nd.

[SquirrellyMama]

Our schools are starting Aug. 24th. Iowa used to let school districts fill out a waiver so they could start early, but it ended up that every school was doing this. It was ridiculous, because many of schools don't have a/c. Schools were getting out early everyday due to heat.

 

The Iowa State Fair starts mid-August and goes for 10 days. Many 4H kids were missing the first week or more of school.

 

Two years ago the waivers were stopped, and now we start later in August.  With my own kids, we would often start at the beginning of August, but then take off  in October to explore in the beautiful fall weather.

 

Kelly

 

 

[Library Momma]

School here usually begins "around" Labor Day.  This year it is August 29th - Not too far off.  They have limited or no air conditioning so that is a factor.

[OhanaBee]

Our local schools start next Monday.  They usually get out in mid-May.  A lot of this is because of the various breaks they get during the year.  There's a week off in the fall for hunting and another one in mid-February that is considered "Winter Break" [not to be confused with Christmas/Winter Break].  I'm friends with some of the teachers in the school and they've told me the real reason for the week off in February is to cut down on the illnesses passed around that time of year.  The schools are always "sanitized" during that break.

 

Where I grew up, we didn't start until a week after Labor Day and got out the third week of June.  Now those same schools are starting in Mid-August and still getting  out in mid-June......but it's a very diverse area and there are a LOT of holidays during the school year.  Christmas/Winter Break can last up to four weeks because students are celebrating both Western and E.O. Christmas dates.

[vonfirmath]

That law has been n effect for quite a few years. It was passed (IMO) mostly because of lobbying from the tourist industry in the mountains and along the coast who need high school workers through Labor Day weekend. Way back when the boys were n public (elementary) school they started early in August and got out around May 20. That was great because we could get a vacation in before the weather got too hot and before everything got so crowded. August is a totally wasted month here anyway--too hot and humid to do much outside. If I had kids in school I'd much rather they have time off in late May than in August.

 

I have kids in school and I completely agree about this.

 

I wouldn't mind starting earlier in August and getting off earlier in May.

 

[poppy]

In our district it's not until Sept 7.  And thank goodness.  Water at the beaches here in MA don't start getting warm until August!  The idea of spending the hottest, laziest month of the year in a classroom makes me itch.

[mommyoffive]

Yep they are starting earlier where I am too.  Usually they start after labor day.  This year it is Sept 1st.

[SparklyUnicorn]

They start after Labor Day here.

 

 

[mom31257]

Dh teaches high school, and their first day was last Friday, July 29th. He wasn't happy!

 

They take 6 full week breaks during the year: fall break, Thanksgiving week, 2 weeks at Christmas, winter break, spring break

 

I didn't read all the responses, but poor children have shown to retain more if the summer break is short.

 

 

[TechWife]

We have schools on a "year round" calendar here. They started just after Independence Day. Traditional calendar schools start at the end of August.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm curious as to why this varies so much from place to place.  It seems to me, and I could be completely wrong, that warmer places get out earlier and start earlier.

 

 

[Pawz4me]

Are you sure about the start date passing before this year?  Last year our schools started on the 24th, which would be before the 25th, and this year I thought they would start on the 22nd, but I was told they couldn't this year.

 

Yep. I pulled the boys out of public school in 2005 and the law was passed a year or two after that. School systems have always been able to apply for an exemption on the starting date, though. The mountain counties in particular usually get exemptions because of the number of bad weather days they miss and have to make up.

[MaeFlowers]

I live in GA. Our county schools started Monday. They basically do a 6 weeks on, one week off schedule. The stupid part of it to me is the expense. They complain about not having enough money then have to run the AC all of August.

[poppy]

Dh teaches high school, and their first day was last Friday, July 29th. He wasn't happy!

 

They take 6 full week breaks during the year: fall break, Thanksgiving week, 2 weeks at Christmas, winter break, spring break

 

I didn't read all the responses, but poor children have shown to retain more if the summer break is short.

 

Is it a Christian school? Two weeks at Christmas is nuts.  Must wreak havoc on parent work schedules.

 

In MA we do get one week in Feb and one week in April off.  But we go to late June.

 

I'm sure it's regional and hotter states end earlier and start earlier.

[ktgrok]

Is it a Christian school? Two weeks at Christmas is nuts.  Must wreak havoc on parent work schedules.

 

In MA we do get one week in Feb and one week in April off.  But we go to late June.

 

I'm sure it's regional and hotter states end earlier and start earlier.

 

We always had two weeks at Christmas when i was growing up. And that was public school, in an area with a lot of Jewish students. Usually it was the week before/of and the week after. We came back after New Years Day. I think they still do that here. 

 

Then one week for spring break. Oh, and thanksgiving was wednesday through friday off. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We never got 2 weeks for xmas or any break other than summer.

 

 

[MaeFlowers]

We always got two weeks at Christmas, too. If you don't, do you go back before New Years and then take another break then?

 

Totally random. We used to always get snow the day we were supposed to come back from Christmas break and would get an extra day or two off. It was like clock work. I remember one year watching Better Off Dead while I waited for my school to pop up on the school closing ticker. I loved that movie and still associate it with snow days.

Edited August 3, 2016 by MaeFlowers

[Zuzu822]

We never got 2 weeks for xmas or any break other than summer.

 

In our area of NY, it's the best when Christmas/New Year's Falls on a Wednesday. Then everyone will get two weeks. Otherwise, no way. With the holidays on Sundays this year, most places will probably go through 12/23 and be back 1/2. :(

Edited August 3, 2016 by Zuzu822

[SparklyUnicorn]

In our area of NY, it's the best when Christmas/New Year's Falls on a Wednesday. Then everyone will get two weeks. Otherwise, no way. With the holidays on Sundays this year, most places will probably go through 12/23 and be back 1/2. :(

 

Yeah maybe that happens here too (I'm in NY).  Just looked at the local calendar and it's the same as you say for xmas break.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I doubt the Christian schools here do it any differently because they use the public school buses. 

[CinV]

Florida schools only had an 8 week Summer break. They start back August 10 this year. They get out about two weeks earlier next year though (before Memorial Day).

 

Jodie

Not sure where you are, but all the schools around me (NE FL) got 11 - 12 weeks off.  My nephew (Orlando) also has 12 weeks off.

[Serenade]

I'm annoyed that every local pool and swimming lake closes next week because of school starting! It's the hottest part of the year and there's no place to swim.

This used to bug me, too, when my son was in PS. The pools would open in early May when it was too cold to comfortably swim, and then they would close or drastically reduce hours in August.

[mom2scouts]

Our school districts are very open about the fact that school is starting so early so they can finish the first semester before winter break. They need to do that so they can come back after break and immediately start prepping for the standardized testing which takes up almost the entire second half of the year. Not kidding! They spend weeks on test prep and weeks on the actual testing. One of my friends who subs says after testing she's guaranteed all the sub jobs she wants because the teachers then spend all their time doing post test grading and meetings. A parent complained to me that her children suddenly started having lots of homework in busy May after not having much for months. I pointed out that testing season was over and she realized I was right. Some of these are upper middle class neighborhoods whose goal seems to be getting the best ranking in the area. 

[shawthorne44]

I remember my mother being grumpy that I started before Labor Day.   it wasn't by many days though.  

 

In places where A/C is more important than heat, It seems like a particularly bad idea to spread the school year out like some places are.  They seem to start earlier and then don't end any sooner.   They just take more random days off in the middle.