Every school year runs on a calendar that most families take for granted until it changes. Decisions about when school starts and ends, how long summer lasts, whether a storm closes buildings and what time the first bell rings affect learning, budgets, staffing, transportation and family schedules all at once. This section gathers edCircuit’s reporting on those decisions. It covers the debate over year-round school and the 45-15 schedule, what goes into calling a snow day and whether remote learning should replace it, later start times for teenagers, summer learning loss and the programs that try to prevent it, and the milestones that shape the year, from the first day to the 100th day to end-of-year recognition. The articles are written for district leaders weighing a calendar change and for the teachers and families who plan around one. Start with the articles below, then browse the full archive. Start here: Should K-12 Schools Run Year-Round? · Snow Day Safety: What Goes Into Calling a Snow Day · Digital Equity and Snow Days: Rethinking Online Learning · Pushing Back Your School’s Start Time? · Why Summer Learning Programs Matter for Students · 100 Days of School: A Celebration of Progress & Possibility
Back to school in 1996 meant Trapper Keepers and textbooks. In 2026, students return with laptops, cloud assignments, and AI.