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It's a source of contention for students, parents and teachers: When should school start? Some school officials tell us, even though they approve the early calendar, an August start date can actually promote absenteeism.
In the state's largest school district, the Jordan School District, for instance, 1,000 students don't show up for the first few days of school before Labor Day. That begs the question: Should school start before or after the holiday?
"I don't think it starts too early, although I think it would make more sense to start after Labor Day," parent Christine Rolfson said.
After Labor Day, that's what some parents say. "They go to school for two days, then they have a long weekend, and I think it's just silly," parent Diane McMorris said.
Forty-nine percent of the people we asked in a Dan Jones poll for KSL-TV said school should start after Labor Day. But 39 percent said starting before is best.
"A lot of times it's like they have a hard time getting back and getting started. They kind of need to make a slow adjustment into it. Having a few days off for Labor Day kind of helps some of them getting up, a few days to kind of get their body ready," said Brenda Behrens, who is a parent and a teacher.
Some Utah schools started as early as this week. They get out before Memorial Day. But most won't start until Aug. 25, one week before Labor Day.
"No matter what our calendar is, not everyone is going to be happy," said Melinda Colton, spokeswoman for the Jordan School District.
The school calendar has to equal 180 days of instruction, and making it all work isn't easy. "We are required by the state to have so many instructional days. So, you kind of have to figure all that in. You've got professional development for teachers, when there's parent-teacher conferences the teachers take a comp recess day for that. It's a very intricate schedule," Colton said.
Fifty percent of those polled said they'd be willing to take shorter holidays if it meant they could start after Labor Day. One-quarter of those polled said they'd end school later if they needed to.
This year, students have no option. They'll all be starting before the holiday even though the districts know some students simply won't show up until later.
"We have to wait until we get those to do enrollment that fifth day after school, then you may need more teachers, you may need fewer. So classes are pretty crowded during that first week," Colton said.
Every two years the Granite School District sends out a survey and asks parents if they'd like to start before or after Labor Day. Despite what our poll says, the district told us today the survey most recently came back in favor of starting before.
The Washington County School District says same thing down there.
To view this year's school calendar, click the related link to the right of the story.
E-mail: corton@ksl.com
