School Should NEVER Start in Eastern PA. Or New Jersey Before Labor Day

Thousands of school kids across our area have gone back to school, but many of them,  haven't even had a full day of classes yet.

So I am wondering, is it REALLY necessary for schools in the Eastern Pa. and Central Jersey area to EVER start before Labor Day?

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TONS of schools in Bucks County, PA opened this week. We know of SEVERAL Jersey school districts that will start classes this week.

And, yes, the Philadelphia Public Schools reopened for kids on Monday (August 29).

But yet... more than 100 schools in our area will dismiss early on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the extreme heat that our area is facing. That's only the second and third day of the new school year!

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Philadelphia Public School officials say that the cooling systems in about 118 of their schools. One teacher tells 6ABC that "students were drip[ping in a pool of sweet and couldn't focus" on Monday.

I get it. I went to a high school in New Jersey that didn't have air conditioning or ANY type of cooling in place. These 90+ (and humid) degree days were REALLY tough. I even wrote about this back in June. So I kind of understand that this may seem a little hypocritical.

I don't have kids, and probably never will. So I RARELY sympathize with teenagers, but this is one of those cases where I think it's a little rough and unfair.

But why do we have to start school in August? I understand the calendar can be tricky.
And if we start any later in the year, in some cases the kids will be in school when it is nearly just as hot in June.

But early dismissals to start the school year completely disrupt a family's schedule. Right? I can't imagine the jockeying that working parents have to do this week.

Maybe we should cut a few extra days off later in the year? It's important that kids are in the classroom to start the year, but maybe, by June if it's too hot, they can have remote/virtual learning at least?

Every passing day, we're closer to fall. That means cooler weather is rapidly approaching. The forecast for next week IS cooler than it is for this week (before Labor Day).

So, is it REALLY necessary for schools to start before Labor Day? I say it's not.