School's back already? Not in most of North Carolina
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Hundreds of traditional schools in North Carolina are reopening this week despite a state law barring them from starting classes before Aug. 24.
Why it matters: America's start-of-school season stretches nearly two months. Gone are the days of a shared "back-to-school" moment.
State of play: North Carolina changed its law in 2004 after lobbying by coastal communities hoping for more late-summer beach tourism, according to reporting by WUNC.
- Since then, most traditional schools have been barred from beginning classes before late August. The precise date varies year to year but is never earlier than Aug. 23. (Year-round schools are exempt.)
- The News & Observer reports that more school districts are defying the law and starting earlier, largely so that winter break doesn't interfere with exams. This school year, 72% of school districts are complying with the law, the paper found.
The big picture: U.S. schools reopen on schedules that stretch from mid-July to mid-September, depending on geography.
- District calendars show nearly half of all schools will open by Aug. 16, according to dates compiled by MDR Education, a data company. Four in five will open before Sept. 1.
Zoom out: Nearly all public schools in the Deep South open before Aug. 16. Almost none in New England do.
- Districts largely set their own calendars, but some other states also mandate start dates. In Minnesota, for example, districts generally cannot begin the school year before Labor Day, with limited exceptions.
- One reason cited for later starts in parts of the Northeast is protecting summer tourism by maintaining a seasonal youth workforce at beaches, camps and other vacation hot spots.
Between the lines: Districts with earlier starts typically cite desires to build more breaks into the school year, provide more instructional time before standardized testing and end the first semester before winter break.
Yes, but: Summer heat often enters the start-date debate, but it doesn't neatly explain school calendars.
- Some districts and lawmakers argue August classes increase school cooling costs.
- Others argue schools provide air-conditioned spaces that benefit children during periods of extreme heat.
Zoom in: All of the Triangle's public school districts are in compliance, with traditional schools reopening Aug. 24.
What we're watching: More districts flouting the law could eventually spur state lawmakers to revisit the legislation.