OPINION
Our area has been coming back to life over the last few weeks.
Throughout the summer, it felt like a bit of a ghost town at times.
Part of it was the heat, but another big part was that so many people were on summer schedules.
The school year affects so much more than just the families who have kids in school.
The ripple effects keep going in the way community events increase, giving additional opportunities to connect with our neighbors.
This week, Rep. Jared Patterson said on social media that Texas should require districts to wait until September to start school in an effort to cut down on cooling costs and to mitigate some of the issues with outdoor practices in the summer.
That sounds great in theory, but how much would that really save?
Between the technology built into the schools and the summertime activities that happen within their walls, wouldn't we still be needing to cool the buildings throughout the hottest summer months?
Wouldn't we still have summer camp programs, summer school and conditioning camps that would again require the districts to keep the temperature down, even if the majority of students and staff weren't there? How much chaos would the change cause? Say school got a later start.
Would the sports seasons shift to a later time, as well?
What about on the academic side. Would students have to take semester exams after winter break?
What would happen to dual credit programs, which try to align with college schedules?
If this becomes a serious debate, I hope we get answers to these questions.
At first glance, I just don't think this is such a hot idea.
Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal, and she serves on both the North and East Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association boards. She can be reached at abardwell@postsignal. com.
ABIGAIL BARDWELL
