Return to school comes early for some districts

Most area students will be back in class sometime next week.

Students across the Mon Valley are preparing to head back to school.

For many of them, the return to class has come more quickly than usual.

An analysis shows that many school districts have inched up their start date over the years, while others have kept it close to the end of August.

Only three districts in Western Pennsylvania are starting classes after Labor Day this year: Kiski Area, Avonworth and Baldwin-Whitehall.

Allegheny Valley and McKeesport Area have the earliest first day of school, starting Monday — a full two weeks before Labor Day. They also were first last year with a start date of Aug. 21. As recently as 2011, Allegheny Valley welcomed students back after Labor Day.

Here’s the first day of school for area school districts:
• Belle Vernon Area School District: Wednesday, Aug. 21
• Brownsville Area School District: Tuesday, Aug. 27
• California Area School District: Wednesday, Aug. 21
• Charleroi School District: Thursday, Aug. 22
• Elizabeth Forward School District: Thursday, Aug. 22
• McKeesport Area School District: Monday, Aug. 19
• Monessen City School District: Thursday, Aug 22
• Ringgold School District: Monday, Aug. 26
• Serra Catholic High School: Wednesday, Aug. 21
• South Allegheny School District: Thursday, Aug. 22

“The district has started classes the third week in August for several years,” Allegheny Valley district spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak said. “The start date allows for professional development and open house days throughout the school year and enables the district to graduate students at the end of May.”

As Elizabeth Forward students prepare to return to classes Thursday, renovations are moving forward at the high school.

During Wednesday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Keith Konyk said it’s “crunch time” for the district as administrators are working to ensure all staff positions will be filled when students arrive for the first day of classes.

Konyk said he’s excited for the beginning of the school year, which will kick off with a rally where teachers will be recognized for the length of their service to the district.

Konyk said the district is adopting some new technologies, as AR (augmented reality) and AI (artificial intelligence) will be brought into the teaching of science. The high school will also offer classes in cybersecurity.

The district held a meeting with all the contractors involved in the renovation project at the high school, which sustained major damage in a February 2023 fire. Konyk said the work won’t immediately impact the academic wing of the school.

Temporary entrances to the building will be set up, and student safety during the construction project is the preeminent concern. Construction may limit parking availability at the school, and some permits may have to be revoked.

While Greensburg-Salem School District’s first day of school hasn’t moved up in recent years, Superintendent Ken Bissell said the district is discussing options for starting the year a week earlier and ending a week later to build in more time for breaks as well as building-level work, cleaning, repairs, professional learning and administrative or reporting duties.

“We always discuss what is best for children,” Bissell said. “In the past, the Westmoreland County Fair schedule has played a role. This was to give time for the event. That event will continue to be part of the discussion. Still, we can also discuss how to include the event as an educational event for our children who participate as part of their passion, learning and potential future careers or hobbies.”

Bissell said the 2024-25 school year, which starts Aug. 26 for students, hasn’t changed much from previous years.

“We want to examine how future calendars can better support our children, staff, and community in learning, growth opportunities and systemic efficiency,” he said.

Zastawniak said Allegheny Valley’s mid-August start date provides more instructional time before state assessment testing, which takes place in April and May. Additionally, some graduates take advantage of the earlier end date for early college admission or entering the military for training.

Breaks during the year have remained the same, Zastawniak said. The district’s last day of school is May 30, which falls in line with previous years.

When drafting the schedule, Allegheny Valley takes into account past calendars, holidays and feedback from staff and parents, Zastawniak said. She said testing schedules, activities and other events in the district, such as renovations, also are taken into consideration.

That’s also the case at Kiski Area, where building renovations account for this year’s post-Labor Day start.

Kiski Area’s start date of Sept. 3 is due to a renovation project at the district’s intermediate school, according to Superintendent Jason Lohr.

“We are temporarily moving our (seventh and eighth grade) students to the high school for the ’24-’25 school year until the work is finished,” Lohr said. “We simply wanted to allow as much time as possible for moving, planning and preparation purposes. Everything is in place for an on-time start after Labor Day.”

Fox Chapel usually sets its first day for students during the last two weeks of August, said spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski. This year’s start date is Thursday.

“The Fox Chapel Area School Board approves the school calendar annually to align with academic needs and scheduled holidays,” she said.

Penn-Trafford has started school on the Thursday before the first full week of school prior to Labor Day for at least 12 years, according to Superintendent Matt Harris.

“We do that as it is a good start for the kids to ease back into the new school year,” Harris said. “Our calendar is very similar to the past 12 years as we also are done prior to Memorial Day.”

There are no nationwide trends that suggest districts are starting the school year a few days earlier, but there may be a few factors that lead officials to choose an earlier date, said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University’s School of Public Policy.

Roza agrees schools may eye an earlier start to plan for more instructional days before state or college prep testing. Having students back earlier may help them retain proficiency in subjects that otherwise would be lost from the “summer slide,” she said.

School calendars are a local decision, said Mackenzie Christ, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. The PSBA does not track trends on start dates for the first day of school.

“School boards determine the calendars for their district on an individual basis,” she said. “Boards often draft a schedule early in the calendar year and distribute it to their community to elicit feedback before adopting an official district calendar at a public meeting. This process allows boards and other stakeholders to determine what is most appropriate for their students, families and communities.”

Roza tossed around another theory: With districts investing in air-conditioning units, they can accommodate students and staff on warmer days.

There also are different reasons for which day of the week districts decide to welcome students back. A mid-week start allows for teachers to set up classrooms in the days before, so they don’t have to go in before the last weekend for students and families. A Monday or Tuesday start naturally quickens when instructional time begins.

“That’s probably engaged by teachers unions and districts,” Roza said.

Districts also juggle scholastic sports schedules when setting the academic calendar, Roza said.

While start dates have fluctuated over the years, the year itself has largely remained the same, she said. That’s still the case despite a recent change in the state’s education laws that allow school districts to move away from a requirement that students attend classes for 180 days each school year.

“We’re not seeing a lot of added days on the calendar,” Roza said. “… It used to be 180 days a year, and that still holds.”

Districts shouldn’t drastically change the school calendar but should instead engage with parents and families to set a school calendar that reflects the community’s needs, Roza said. She gave an example of days off for the start of hunting season.

“People are accustomed to the year before,” she said.

Nationally, schools in southern states historically start in mid-August, Roza said. It’s more common for districts on the West Coast to start around or after Labor Day.

At Deer Lakes, officials consider state requirements, collective bargaining agreements with unions, professional development days and input from administration, staff and families when setting the school calendar, said spokesman Shawn Annarelli. Deer Lakes had a post-Labor Day start 10 years ago; its first day this year is Aug. 22.

“Formulating each school calendar is a thoughtful and collaborative process,” he said.

Trib Total Media contributed to this report.