On Monday, February 10th, 2025, the Scituate School Committee will discuss whether or not the 2025-26 academic year should begin before or after Labor Day. Traditionally, Scituate Public School students start their school year on the Tuesday following Labor Day. However, several concerns have been raised by School Committee members, prompting them to consider changing the school calendar.
Committee members will explore a variety of advantages and drawbacks before voting.
If academic classes begin before Labor Day, Scituate High School students who take AP courses will have an advantage (compared to previous years), as instruction time before the AP exams in May would increase.
Additionally, an earlier start to the school year means an earlier start to summer at the end of the school year. This might be especially enticing to SHS seniors, who would enjoy an extra-long “senior summer,” allowing them to earn additional income before starting college in the fall. If the School Committee votes to begin the 2025-26 school year during the last week in August, the upcoming summer vacation will be shorter than prior summers for students returning to SPS in the fall.
Starting school before Labor Day would also align better with high school sports, as most student-athletes dedicate the last few weeks of August to pre-season prep and practices. Approximately 75% of SHS students participate in the high school athletic program.
Students participating in fall sports teams that begin practice sessions in August can attest to warmer temperatures before Labor Day. While this wouldn’t be an issue for students at Gates Middle School, high school and elementary school students may experience significant discomfort during classes held in August.
SHS freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were surveyed in their English classes to determine how high school students feel about a potential change to the school calendar. Current SHS seniors were not surveyed, as next year’s school calendar does not impact them.
Among the 71 SHS students who responded to a Google survey, 49.3% did not favor starting school before Labor Day. 31% of the respondents favored the change, and 19.7% expressed indifference regarding the potential schedule change.
Students opposed to starting school before Labor Day said they want to continue the tradition of starting in September because they prefer an extended summer. Comments included, “Summer is short enough already,” and “It’s nice to have a few days in September to reset after the summer and prepare for a new school year.” Additionally, students expressed concern about the weather in August, stating, “The temperature reaches a lot higher for a lot longer in August, so being in school would be much less enjoyable and more uncomfortable.” One student commented, “Summer is warmer at the end, so we should make the most out of it.”
Other students commented, “I don’t know why it should change,” and “It feels as if it’s tradition to start after Labor Day.”
Many current SHS juniors supported changing the school start date, favoring an extended summer following their senior year. Juniors remarked, “Being a senior next year, this would work out well,” and “A longer summer is a better life!”
One student who previously attended school elsewhere and has experienced starting before and after Labor Day reported a preference for beginning before Labor Day, noting it is “less of a stressor and less of a shock to your system.”
Some students said beginning before Labor Day aligns with their academic and personal schedules. One student said this potential change “allows every kid that is taking an AP class an extra week to prepare,” and the change would align with “friends who go to other schools that start earlier.”
SHS students with strong opinions about the 2025-26 academic calendar can attend the February 10th meeting, which will be held at 6:00 PM in the SHS library. Public comments are shared at the beginning of the meeting; however, the School Committee will vote on the 2025-26 school calendar later in the meeting.