Too much whining about the late school start

All the whining about the school year starting after Labor Day is making my head spin. Both sides of the debate, but especially the pre-Labor Day crowd, proffer questionable (at best) arguments to support their position.

Kids lose a week of “education.” So? They still will receive the required 180 days of schooling. They won’t get free meals for a week. So? What did they do the rest of the summer vacation? Same goes for the “extra” week of day care. They will suffer more loss of learning inertia during the summer break. Really? They will lose measurable skills by waiting one more week to start school? I doubt it.

As a youngster (not in Maryland) we always started school after Labor Day and always ended in early June. We received the required number of school days (also 180 as I recall) and had the usual mid-year vacations. I received a fine education, attended college, attained meaningful employment, and had a fine life. Starting school before Labor Day is probably a waste of time as kids would go to school for a couple of days, then get the Labor Day holiday off, and then re-start school. I doubt there is very much meaningful education happening prior to Labor Day anyway. Plus, it might save a week of running all the air conditioners in all the schools.

For many decades Labor Day has represented the unofficial end of summer and should be retained as such. If Maryland students are receiving sub-par educations it is not because they are starting school one week later.