Would You Support Year-Round School in Your Town?

Now that the days are getting longer again, most school aged children in Minnesota can see the bright sun of summer on the horizon.

Yes, the countdown to summer vacation is definitely in full-swing. Well—unless you're a kid who attends a school with a year-round academic calendar.

There are quite of few metro area schools that offer the year-round model, such as Crossroads Elementary in St. Paul and Paideia Academy in Apple Valley—and the model is getting more popular.

According to the Minnesota Department of Administration, a study around 1999 showed that many Minnesota schools began adopting either block scheduling or year-round education calendars to improve overall student achievement. Block scheduling gives teachers and students more time in each class period and focuses students’ attention on fewer classes at a time; year-round education either increases the time students are in school or rearranges school days to make learning more continuous. In addition to improving student performance, other factors, such as reducing costs, have also motivated schools to adopt alternative schedules. However, results are mixed on how beneficial this model is.

You'd think that most kids would be opposed to losing their summers, even though comparable time is given in a year-round school model. However, in a recent post on the Richfield Patch Facebook page, a local mother said her son had many friends who attended schools with year-round schedules and he was even considering approaching the Richfield School Board about making the transition.

So, would you support your school district changing to a year-round academic calendar? Do you think your child would go for it? What benefits or disadvantages do you see with the year-round model? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.