Some schools are switching to a year-round schedule. Should yours be one of them?
Learning Objective: to read and analyze a text that presents arguments on both sides of a debate, then take a stand
Summer is around the corner, and you may already be dreaming about how you’ll spend your break. Will you (a) go to camp, (b) travel with your family, (c) perfect your Minecraft skills, or (d) stay in school?
Chances are, staying in school is not your top pick. But for about 3 million students in the U.S., going to school in the summer is the only option. That’s because they attend year-round school.
More Breaks, Less Stress
If you haven’t heard much about year-round schools, it’s probably because only about 4 percent of U.S. public schools operate on a year-round schedule. But some educators are saying that more should. Why? According to some studies, Americans lag behind their peers in countries like Japan and Ireland. Keeping schools open all year could be one way to help U.S. students catch up.
Before you run off to a desert island, keep in mind that year-round schools have roughly the same number of vacation days as schools with traditional calendars. The days off are just organized differently. Summer break is usually shortened to about four weeks. The remaining vacation time gets spread out over the rest of the year, with students getting a few weeks off in the fall, winter, and spring.
And that extra time off during the school year can be a big stress reliever. “We work hard,” says Hansika Nallavelli, a ninth-grader in Minnesota. “This would give us more to look forward to throughout the year.”
Reorganizing the year can have academic benefits too. It can mitigate summer learning loss—that is, forgetting what you’ve learned from the prior school year. Many year-round schools also offer optional activities during vacation weeks. Students can take creative classes ranging from karate to screenwriting, or get extra help in tricky subjects.
On the other hand, learning doesn’t have to stop for kids on long summer breaks. Activities like making TikToks, taking family trips, shooting hoops, and reading can be extremely enriching.
One downside to year-round schools? The logistics. In fact, some districts have tried year-round schedules only to switch back when they became too complicated. Try setting up a soccer game with another school when you’re on a break every few weeks or so. Arranging family vacations can be difficult too, especially if siblings are on different school schedules.
An American Tradition
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And if you balk at the idea of not having almost three months of freedom, you’re not alone. Many kids feel they need a long break to recover from the social and academic demands of school.
“We need a couple of months to cool off and chill without the pressure of schoolwork,” says Gracie Lindsay, a seventh-grader in California. “Summer vacation gives us a chance to pursue passions we don’t have time for during the school year.”
And many educators count on summers to prepare for the upcoming school year—and to get a much-needed break of their own.
Summer vacation has also become an important tradition, a time to create lasting memories. But is that a good enough reason to keep it around? Summer break began 120 years ago. Schools started closing so families could head to cooler climates to escape the heat. Today we have air-conditioning. Plus, many parents work.
Clearly, the world has changed.
Is it time for summer break to change too?
Should You Give Up Summer Vacation?
Should You Give Up Summer Vacation?
Should You Give Up Summer Vacation?
This article was originally published in the May/June 2026 issue.
