Since the dawn of the organized school system in the 1840s, children have attended school primarily on a partial-year basis. Poorer rural schools allowed children time off for planting and harvesting, while wealthier urban schools gave breaks so children could enjoy summer vacations. In recent years, a movement toward year-round schooling has gained momentum, with approximately one-sixth of schools nationwide following a year-round schedule. Critics say extending the school year presents some disadvantages for children and their parents.
Additional Costs
A major disadvantage of extending the school year is the increased cost to the school district. According to the California Department of Education's Year-Round Education Program Guide, both transition costs and operational costs can inhibit schools from implementing year-round calendars. Transitional costs include those related to administrative planning, staff development, storage space and even air conditioning, while operational costs include expanded staffing requirements, utilities and transportation needs. According to Hanover Research, this initial outlay is often enough for schools to reject extending the school year. For instance, during the 2011-12 academic year, more than a dozen of the school divisions operating on year-round schedules in Virginia reverted to a traditional calendar, citing cost as a primary factor.
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Teacher Training and Burnout
During the summer months, teachers often partake in professional development courses or pursue for-credit college courses that are sometimes required to maintain certification. Professional development activities that used to take place on-site may need to be moved off-site because of lack of space, resulting in more expense. Teacher burnout has also been cited as a factor: the shorter breaks built into an extended school year may not be enough to offset the ongoing stress that comes with preparing lessons and grading papers, especially for teachers in the upper grades, where lessons are more complex and assignments become more involved.
Extracurricular Activities
Since the majority of school districts across the country operate on a traditional schedule, juggling extracurricular activities becomes an issue. For children involved in sports activities, practice or competitions may occur during session breaks, making scheduling time off for vacations complicated. This becomes even trickier if schools on a traditional school calendar compete against schools following an extended school schedule. Moreover, children who often participate in summer camps for band, sports, art, dance or church may find it difficult or even impossible to attend programs if school is in session at the time.
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Family Burden
Extended-year schooling can also place a burden on families when it comes to child care and vacation planning. Because many year-round schools operate on a "multitrack" system, in which one group of students goes to school while another group is on break, planning vacations can be problematic -- especially if a family's children are on different tracks. If both parents work, daycare also can become an issue, as parents need to find a caretaker or daycare provider who can accommodate intermittent breaks throughout the year.
Sketchy Achievement Results
One of the major reasons schools choose to transition to an extended school year is to prevent the "learning loss" that occurs over long summer breaks. However, according to a report issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, research has found little relationship between extended schooling and increased academic performance. Only students in certain subgroups, such as economically disadvantaged students and those with limited English proficiency, showed any advantage over students who follow a traditional schedule.
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