Year Round School: Benefits and Disadvantages

Students do not need to attend school twelve months a year, though there are benefits to this particular type of scheduling format. The nine and ten-month school year schedule works well and gives teachers and students a well-needed and a well-deserved break.

However, benefits of year round schools exist. For one, students that attend school year round typically get about three weeks off for Christmas break and three weeks off for spring break along with a week or two off for winter break. Now, these generous breaks allow students sufficient time to take vacations with their families, and in turn, they do not end up missing instructional time.

The biggest benefit of year round schools is that students are constantly attending school. They do not have time to get lazy and to do what they want. They do not have the generous summer break to forget all that they have learned, so in a weird way, this scheduling format is conducive to learning, though many students will not agree with the aforementioned point.

Though these longer breaks mean foregoing that ten-week-long summer break. Summer breaks are a good time to unwind, and it is typically so hot that most people do not feel like doing much. As for schools, they benefit as they do not have to air condition the many classrooms and buildings during the hottest part of the year. Some school districts may have a difficult time paying for the extra energy consumption, especially when electricity and diesel remain fairly expensive.

Also, some school buses are not air conditioned, and in the humid South, I do not want to be riding a bus when temperatures near 100 degrees. Another con is that school assemblies would not happen during the summer months as many gymnasiums and auditoriums are not air conditioned, so it would be very difficult for schools to gather as a student body. Another concern would be in places where temperatures are extremely hot during the summer—what would schools do if the air condition system quit working during the summer? Some classes would be able to find other classrooms in other buildings, but some schools already have teachers who “float” because of a lack of classroom space.