New calendar sends schools back early

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The calendar may still say July, but summer break is over on the east side of Indianapolis.

Thousands of Warren Township students are back in the classroom under the district's new balanced calendar. While some people are OK with the change, not everyone is happy.

For little James Anderson, Monday was a big day.

“We've been preparing him all summer for it. He's excited to go to big boy school,” said Angela Brown.

Like thousands of other Warren Township students, summer ended early for James, a brand new kindergartener, thanks to what the district calls a balanced calendar. Students go back early in exchange for extra time off in October and March.

James is thrilled about it.

“I want to play with my friends!” he told 24-Hour News 8 Reporter Troy Kehoe.

His grandma is happy about it, too.

“If that helps them be better educated, then I'll do it,” she said.

But other parents aren’t so sure.

“I definitely think it's too early,” said Ladonna Davis. “I don't know about her, but I was still enjoying my summer break.”

Parent Jerry Officer echoed Davis’ comments.

“I'm old fashioned. I like it after September,” he said.

But, waiting another month, administrators say, creates a problem that educators refer to as “summer slide.”

“(It’s) a little bit of a regression in their learning,” explained Ryan Russell, Raymond Park School principal. “What we like with the earlier start of the school year is that we can limit the amount of regression students have at the start of the school year."

It's an approach Russell says has paid off. Test scores at his school jumped to their highest level ever last year. And, there's no doubt, Russell says, the calendar plays a role

The balanced calendar concept is a growing trend. Franklin Township will adopt a balanced calendar when students return on Wednesday, and a half dozen other local schools will also go back this week.

Still, some remain unconvinced of the balanced calendar concept.

Carmel Senator Mike Delph led a failed charge to push start dates back in 2010.

"78 percent of my constituents support a start date after Labor Day,” Delph said in the past.

And while his office says there are no immediate plans to try again to change to school start time, it remains a hot debate.