School after Summer Solstice? NJ kids and teachers deserve better

The Summer Solstice came and went last Friday. For months, New Jersey school-aged children have been dreaming of the beach, summer vacations, and doing nothing for hours and hours every day. Summer vacation rules!

However, I was shocked to discover that many students around the state — and teachers too, of course — are still in school through Monday or Tuesday or even Wednesday of this week. That seems ridiculously late to still be in school. And I consider it to be not only unfair, but rather a failure of planning.

Let's be clear: No one is learning anything right now. Students are mentally checked out. Teachers are ... surviving. And classrooms with inadequate or non-existent air conditioning are sweltering. (We have dangerous heat on the way this week, after all.) The late dismissal affects family vacations and summer camps and Shore businesses and mental health — the list goes on and on.

New Jersey public schools are required to hold 180 days of instruction each school year. A reasonable number, in line with just about every other state. But many districts build calendars that push the school right up to — or beyond — the official start of summer. Why?

Is it because schools had to make up a massive amount of snow days this year? No. While northern and southern New Jersey did see a few storms this winter, none of them caused excessive school closures.

Is it because the school year started late due to a late Labor Day holiday? Nope. Labor Day was on September 2nd. Most schools started up for the year on the 3rd or 4th, as usual.

Is it because of Winter Break? Possibly. Christmas Day was on a Wednesday this year, which forced a longer-than usual hiatus for many school districts.

Is it because of the unusually late Spring Break? Doubtful. No matter what, districts allot 5 or 6 days every year for the spring hiatus, centered around Holy Week.

Is Juneteenth to blame? Maybe. Juneteenth was first celebrated as a state holiday in 2021, observed on the third Friday of June. That same year, it earned status as a federal holiday as well, celebrated on June 19th. As a result, many — although not all — school districts in New Jersey had a late day off on Thursday or Friday last week, extending the school day by another day.

I challenge school and district administrators to do better. Some private schools in New Jersey — not subject to the 180-day rule — have been finished for a couple weeks now. Public schools in other parts of the country, like the South and the Plains have been on break for over a month. (Although they admittedly start the school year in mid-August — which would present even more serious heat problems here in the great Garden State.)

Many superintendents and school boards seem stuck in autopilot, recycling the same outdated calendar template year after year. They do have a lot of groups to appease and special consideration in crafting the perfect schedule, from the teachers union (and contracts) to parents to athletics to a matter of tradition. But maybe it is time to go back to the drawing board, think about what is really best for our kids and staff, and make some bold but sensible changes.

Bottom line: The school year should not extend past the Summer Solstice. It is not just about comfort, it's about common sense, safety, and respecting everyone's time. Sweating at a desk on June 22nd, 23rd, or 24th is absolutely not a marker of high educational success.

We can't control the heat. But we can control the school calendar. Please do better next year?

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Check out Dan's weather blog or follow him on Facebook for your latest weather forecast updates.