(WXYZ) — This past Sunday, Corewell Health gave away free backpacks to kids at right here at Campus Martius. So I took this opportunity to ask parents, when is the best time for school to start… before or after Labor Day?
"I guess when I was a kid, I wanted it to start after Labor Day, but now that I’m a parent, I rather they start before Labor Day," said Cashia Kemp, a mother of four.
"After for sure," said Elena Ault, a mother of two. "Because this way they can just (get) right into it, instead of having to pause in between.
"I’m ready for them to comeback whenever, its all about the kids," said Lisa Canty, the grandmother to seven-year-old Lacy, who said she's okay with school starting after Labor Day.
Elena's kids, Masimo (five) and Valentino (four) also wanted to wait until after Labor Day to start. Here in Southeast Michigan, we have school districts that open before Labor Day and some after. So I asked parents, is it better if we are all unified?
"No, not really, because for some people it works when it starts before and for some when it starts after," Cashia said.
"You know I was actually I was given a different perceptive from a teacher, and said if everybody started at the same time, it would be hard for anybody to get a break, or have people cover, and I never thought of it this way," Elena said.
Lisa, an educator who starts work this week, broke down the benefits of starting both before and after Labor Day.
"Well the benefits of school starting before, we prepare our class rooms, for students that are coming, that’s a good benefit, the benefits after, kids have a longer vacation," Lisa said.
"So, what's the downside to schools starting before Labor Day?" I asked Elena.
"Besides the consistency, maybe if we are not ready, if summer doesn’t feel like its over yet and you have to throw your kids in school," Elena said.
And the downside to starting after Labor Day?
"I don’t really see one. It feels like fall starts after Labor Day," Elena said.
In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter when school starts?
"No," Cashia told me. "You just need to know the date so you can be prepared."
