New school calendar would start classes on Aug. 1
With only open windows and fans to cool the room down
The Hawaii Department of Education is recommending changes to its school calendar after parents and lawmakers urged the state to consider starting school later due to high temperatures this summer.
Hawaii News Now reports the department’s proposal for a multi-year school calendar covering the next three years doesn’t help students beat the heat, but instead focuses on allowing better planning by schools and families.
Under the proposal, students would start classes the week of Aug. 1 and end within the week of Memorial Day. Department officials say the changes are meant to maximize five-day weeks in order to reduce absences.
The public had recommended starting school after Labor Day because of hot classrooms, but deputy superintendent Stephen Schatz says the switch would only extend classes further into the summer.
