Students are required to attend school for 175 to 180 days per year, according to the Center for Public Education. (See Reference 1) Students on a year-round calendar still attend school the same number of days, but their breaks are more dispersed throughout the year, instead of one huge block of time off in the summer. (See Reference 2) The National Education Association claims that the most popular schedule for year-round schools is the 45-15 plan, where students attend school for 45 days and then get three weeks of vacation, including the traditional holiday breaks. (See Reference 3)
Education experts claim that the traditional 3 month summer break can be detrimental to students. If students do not spend time learning, reading or on other academic tasks during their time off, they may need extra review or remediation when they return to classes in the fall. Year-round school offers the benefit of shorter breaks, which means less time to fall behind and forget important material. (See Reference 3)
For many American students, a long summer break is a time-honored tradition that allows families to spend much needed time together after a stressful school year. Other supporters of summer break argue that traditional summertime activities, such as travel, camps and museum visits, can be just as fulfilling and enriching as being in the classroom. Opponents claim that instead, many students, especially those in economically disadvantaged families, spend their time indoors participating in sedentary activities, like watching TV. (See Reference 2)
Many teachers use the summer break to collaborate with their colleagues, plan for upcoming curriculum changes and even attend university summer school classes. A year-round schedule may make some of these tasks more difficult. Teachers though, would not have to spend time getting students caught up and back into a school routine after a long summer break. Parents may find it difficult to find childcare during several longer breaks versus one larger one, and if some schools in the district adopt a year-round schedule and others do not, it might mean having one child in school while another is on break. (See Reference 4)