School daze

The days of going back to school after Labor Day and ending just before Memorial Day are a faded memory of Baby Boomer nostalgia.

Why it matters: Given that most schools in Baton Rouge opened Aug. 6 or 7, and factoring in the parent prep work of getting kids ready for the year, "summer vacation" pretty much ends by the close of July.

What's the deal: So why do schools in Baton Rouge—and across much of the South in particular—start earlier and earlier with each passing year?

• Schools for more than a century based their calendars on 1) farming and 2) the summer vacation season of what once were this nation's population centers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
• The split still runs almost entirely by region: MDR Education data shows nearly every Deep South school opens before mid-August, while most New England schools wait weeks longer.
• Vacation weather is almost year-round in the South, so the longer window to get 177 classroom days makes it easier to absorb weather-related school closures.
• An added challenge in Baton Rouge and South Louisiana: Mardi Gras.

The trade-off: There are downsides to what's crawling toward a 10-month school year.

• Higher temps in August mean it's expensive to cool classrooms. The silver lining is children from homes lacking air conditioning get some respite from the oppressive heat during the school day.
• The stretched calendar has led to a rise in random off-days and half-days, which can strain working parents.
• Private schools are especially notorious for mini-breaks.

The bottom line: Nostalgia wants a September start and a June finish. Louisiana's climate and culture are writing a far different calendar.