Editorial: Back to school? Summer shouldn't be over this early

Chicago Tribune

8 hours ago

It's Aug. 11, and the weather's finally been nice for a few weeks, minus the Canadian smog.
But instead of enjoying these late-summer days, lots of Chicago-area kids are marching to school today, bulging backpacks perched on sweat-soaked backs.
This week marks the start of a new school year for many students, believe it or not, and Labor Day is still three weeks away.
Among the unlucky students are those at Evanston Township High School, which kicked off the school year today.
When putting together calendars, school administrators are never going to make everyone happy. But Aug. 11? That's still the height of summer in our minds.
Administrators acknowledge that this year is beginning a little earlier than usual, but say the pain is worth it. The schedule 'allows for a more balanced first and second semester, so that semester finals take place before winter break rather than after,' an ETHS official told Evanston Now, adding that the high school did everything it could to align with District 65, the pre-K-eighth grade district that includes Evanston.
We certainly understand wanting to let kids wrap up exams before semester breaks. Is this really the only way to get there?
Evanston isn't the only suburb sending high schoolers back this week. Summer is ending early for students in the Glenbrook high schools, also in the north suburbs; Prospect High School and John Hersey High School in the northwest 'burbs; and far southwest suburban Minooka Community High School.
Summer heat typically is more intense downstate, but that's not stopping some southern Illinois districts from getting on the bandwagon. Belleville Township High School starts back Thursday.
We wonder, if one polled students, whether they'd agree with our old-school views: What's wrong with starting classes right after Labor Day, which marks the unofficial farewell to summer? And if that means a later start to the following summer holiday, so be it. It's not like May is a reliably beautiful weather month in Chicago. For many years, Chicago Public Schools started after Labor Day and went well into June before summer dismissal.
If you're going to stick to the traditional nine-month school year, at least line up breaks with the nice weather so the kids can enjoy it. It'll be snowing here before you know it.
Some educators argue for an entirely different approach. A handful of places have ditched the nine-month school calendar in favor of year-round school, a move that acknowledges the very real learning loss that takes place when kids press pause on their studies for months on end. Some parts of the U.S. eschew lengthy summers for shorter, more frequent breaks, including a handful of schools in the Durham, North Carolina, public school system. Though that approach remains rare, it's intriguing if it really means higher-performing students.
But seeing as year-round school isn't being considered in these parts, we have a favor to ask of administrators across the state assembling school calendars for the 2026-2027 school year. Let's hold onto summer just a bit longer. Get kids to the end of August, then throw them back into reality. We trust it can be done.