“Agrarian cycles are generally cited as the reason for summer breaks, which supposedly allowed for young people to assist with responsibilities on family farms,” said Gorlewski. “However, prior to efforts toward standardization in the late 19th century, school calendars reflected the needs of their communities. Reformers sought to create more uniformity across urban and rural regions; and this resulted in the longer summer break that persists today.”
Weather was also an element in these decisions, as temperature control during sweltering summers, especially in big cities and urban areas, was difficult to achieve before the invention and wide-spread use of air-conditioning. As such, some urban families chose to flee to the less crowded countryside in the summer, meaning kids were not around to sit in the suffocating classrooms, according to a report by PBS.
“Contemporary decisions around school calendars are also affected by national holidays, weather (for example, to avoid times when it is particularly costly to heat or cool a building), and collective bargaining agreements,” said Gorlewski.
What are some other considerations?
The needs to keep cool or help on the farm were not and still are not the only considerations in choosing back to school dates, however.
Michael Capuana, District Superintendent of Erie 1 BOCES in Buffalo, New York told USA TODAY that districts in Western New York tend to fall on the later side of things, with most starting around September 5 and 6 this year.
“It’s honestly surprising to me that the school calendar remains generally untouched. This school calendar has been in place for decades in New York,” he said. “In many ways, it seems as though the rationale boils down to ‘we’ve always done it this way,’ despite the fact that our educators and schools are serving more students, families and communities well beyond the typical boundaries of the traditional school day and year.”
Capuana said the New York State Department of Education plays a major role, with limitations on when schools can be in session. In New York, the school year can begin no earlier than September 1 and can extend no later than June 30. If public school districts want any state aid or funding, they have to adhere to these guidelines.
“There are many different factors that need to be considered when determining a school start date,” he said. “For example, New York State regulations require that districts must have a minimum of 180 days of instruction per school year… Local collective bargaining agreements are also a factor here.”
While these limitations leave little room to adjust for things like cancellations due to inclement weather, they do provide one thing: consistency. The lack of change over the years has allowed students and families to adjust to a schedule and know what to expect, said Capuana.
When keeping in mind state regulations, national holidays, tentpole events like state testing and the availability of summer activities, there are various ways different summer schedules can impact the average student.
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education, for example, recently approved a state date of August 21 this year, a solid few weeks before starting times in New York.
“Our 2023-24 school year calendar builds on the success of our current academic calendar by continuing to provide consistency and ensure fewer student learning interruptions,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez in a media statement. According to the district, an earlier start offers a number of benefits to students, including aligning more closely with local colleges and universities, allowing more students to participate in summer camps, job and recreational opportunities that start earlier in the summer and giving students more time to prepare for important exams, such as the SAT.
Ultimately, the decision was never as simple as “let the kids help on the farm,” nor is the determination made based on only one or two factors today.
“In short, decisions around school calendars reflect the kind of tension between central and local governance that characterizes and sustains a democratic republic,” Gorlewski said. “Conversations around public schooling have always been contested, and will continue to require dialogue that takes into consideration the needs and desires of a range of stakeholders, including taxpayers, political leaders, community members, educators, and – most importantly – students.”
