In honor of the last big holiday weekend of summer, we celebrate Labor Day weekend.  Labor day marks the end of summer, like Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer.

In North Dakota, school begins at the end of August.  Whereas in Minnesota, school starts after Labor day.

My question is: why can’t North Dakota starts school after Labor day instead of before?

Family still goes on vacation up until after Labor day.  It’s harder to go when the kids have to start school before Labor day.

I know that there isn’t much to see in North Dakota compares to Minnesota.  That is no excuse not to start school after Labor day though.  The state is right next door to Minnesota.  Many who lives in North Dakota have lake cabins in Minnesota.  Some who don’t, still goes to the lakes to fish or just to get out of town.

I think that school should start after Labor Day and ends before Memorial day.  To make that happens, they can cut into the time off that the teachers/students get during the school year.  I think they get more time-off than I did when I was in school.

When I was in school, if we had too many storm days, we would either make it up during our Christmas break, Easter break or the end of the school year.

Who doesn’t love storm days?

I have to admit I believe the education system is better in Minnesota than it is in North Dakota.  I don’t know if it’s because they start school after Labor day or what.

I don’t understand, because these two states are right next to each others.  So what gives?

I will give an example:   my family was living in West Fargo up until I was in the 5th grade and we moved out on the farm south of Hawley, MN when I started the 6th grade.  What was the highest reading level in North Dakota was the lowest level in Minnesota.  To me it was like starting over.  I was stunned and not very happy.

I also noticed, shortly after school is let out for the summer, about July.  The retail stores starts promoting back-to-school sales.  Now that is so stupid.  Let’s the kids enjoy the summer.  Why should they have to worry about back-to-school supplies in July?

When we were kids, my mother would wait until August to buy our school supplies.  Even as teenagers, we had part-time summer jobs to help with some of our school supplies and clothes.

Kids are constantly growing.  Clothes that you buy in July may not fit your kids by the time school starts.

School is nine months of the years.  Summer is only 3 months.  So summer is very short, and kids need to enjoy the summer weather.  So by having school starts after Labor day and ending before Memorial day, the kids can have a good summer vacation.

While in school, kids are coop up.  Then the teachers wonder why they are so hyper.  Think about it!  There is no place for the energy to go.

Some of the kids who are labeled with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)  may not have it at all.  They just have so much energy from being coop up for 9 months of the year.

Kids need a chance to be kids.  Once you’re an adult, everything goes downhill from there.  Once you are an adult, you have responsibility that must be attend to.  Then we start missing those good old days of our youth.

Believe me, I missed some of my childhood days; and I don’t think I’m alone there.

I think that North Dakota state legislators should look at starting school after Labor day instead before.  I also think that all states should make sure to end  school before Memorial day.  It will be good for our kids.  It will allows them to be kids for as long as they can.  It might even curb their hyperactivity.  Kids shouldn’t have to be drugged because of the so-called ADD.