North New Castle News

Christina School District students enjoyed a long summer break this past year, but it will be short-lived as the district said the school year will start Aug. 31 and the last day is scheduled for June 10, 2021.

Labor Day has usually been the topic of discussion as to when the school year should start.

Several districts have put in place a starting date that precedes the holiday for a variety of reasons including better preparation time for state testing. Parents of students in the Christina School District participated in a survey nearly two years ago and felt that it would be a good idea to start the school year after Labor Day.

The notion for a later start was reinforced last year, when the survey taken again by parents revealed that the post-Labor Day start was popular.

“This board felt significant pressure to align with neighboring districts and a post-Labor Day start,” school board member Elizabeth Paige told the Newark Post. “Parents who went through the school district remember, much as I do, that we started school after Labor Day.”

School officials have looked at this year's date for Labor Day, Sept. 7, and noted that the date would not allow time to handle all of the needs for students, and if there are several snow days, with the later starting date, students conceivably be in class until late June, possible early July.

A near unanimous 6-1 vote by the school board determined that the school year would start before Labor Day, as the board decided to take its action while it and other districts await the fate of SB 204, the proposed legislation that would require all school districts start the year after Labor Day.