Support for LAist comes from
Made of L.A.
Stay Connected

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

LAUSD To Consider Not Starting School In The Middle Of The Summer, Thank God

middle-school-teacher-classroom.jpg
Classroom (Photo by hxdbzxy via Shutterstock)
Support your source for local news!
The local news you read here every day is crafted for you, but right now, we need your help to keep it going. In these uncertain times, your support is even more important. Today, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. We can't hold those in power accountable and uplift voices from the community without your partnership. Thank you.

The nation's second largest school district has been listening to your fervent prayers. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District's board members will consider a proposal to not start school in the middle of the goddamned summer and instead wait until after Labor Day. School for LAUSD's approximately 640,000 students started on August 16 this year.

The L.A. Times reports that school board members will consider a proposal that would shift the district's mid-August start date further back, returning the district to the glory of a post-Labor Day start date. Of course, the change wouldn't mean less school, the whole academic year would just be shifted forward, with the school year then ending further into June.

LAUSD's "early start" was implemented in 2012; up until then, most schools in the district started after Labor Day. The August start date is not merely engineered to torture students and their families; LAUSD does have their reasoning. According to KTLA, the change was made so that students would be able to take exams and finish the fall semester before winter break, and also hopefully improve AP scores in the spring.

CBS 2 reports that the district has received numerous complaints from parents about the hot weather that accompanies an August start date, forcing students to remain indoors and limiting their physical activity.

Most Read