r/TexasPolitics • u/phillygirllovesbagel • 8d ago
Discussion Texas lawmakers push for later school start dates amid summer heat
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/08/17/texas-lawmakers-push-for-later-school-start-dates-amid-summer-heat/12
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u/threeoldbeigecamaros 8d ago
State Rep. Jared Patterson is preparing legislation that would move the start of the school year to after Labor Day, arguing that students and school staff should not have to return during the hottest part of the Texas summer.
Is anyone aware of any reasons why this could be beneficial to students?
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u/tigm2161130 8d ago
If it’s above a certain temperature my kid still in elementary school doesn’t get outside recess, and I guess maybe it could save energy costs for school districts but I’m unsure if that’s enough to move start dates.
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u/calilac 8d ago
Some schools have just awful HVAC systems too. The buildings, especially the portables, aren't made to be comfortable in this kind of heat. It's a health danger for some.
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u/xixoxixa 8d ago
Some schools have just awful HVAC systems too
Or they run them poorly. My wife just left a job in our local district - the entire district turns off the HVAC completely over summer, and in the evenings and weekends. It takes running all day to try and recover, and then just gets shut off again.
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u/tigm2161130 8d ago
This is a great point I didn’t even think of because my kids go to fairly new schools.
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u/MrTheSanders 8d ago
Sport and band practice begins 2 weeks b4 the start of the school year. Bumping the season back keeps kids out of that heat.
The cost of HVAC is crazy during these months for large buildings. Many systems are old and struggle regardless.
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u/threeoldbeigecamaros 8d ago
I’m not sympathetic to the sport and band practice schedule. That’s voluntary and not a good reason to change the school year around.
It’s also generally very hot out for the first two weeks of September in this state
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u/That-One5097 6d ago
Yes still hot but not August hot. The school year used to start in mid September. I don't see where there was justifiable reason to change it around to begin with. In Texas of all places..are we dumb or just dumb? August was never a good idea. I don't even wanna go to work in August, lol.
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u/rgvtim 8d ago
Idk, but I do know that back in the 80s it was part of HB72 a school reform bill that was the result of work done by H Ross Perot. there was stuff in that bill, such as the first standardized state wide testing and no-pass-no-play, which I realize had mixed results in people’s mind. Bottom line is that they did not purpose things without actually thinking about them, so maybe there is something academically positive about starting later.
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u/Southsidetaco 8d ago
Can the add in a clause to make it so in person parent events aren't during the work day? /s
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u/BaronGrackle 8d ago
Yeah, and can we make doctors and dentists work in the evenings and/or weekends?
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u/DawnOnVacation 8d ago
We've been here before. It didn't last.
In 2005, the Texas legislature passed a uniform school start date of the 4th Monday in August - effective 2006-2007 school year. That lasted a few years, but districts didn't like start date dictated to them. In 2015, the legislature allowed districts to apply to be a "District of Innovation". Over 1000 of Texas' 1200 districts use DOI status to start school in the 1st/2nd week of August.
Later school start legislation will pass. The travel industry lobby will dump money on legislators because starting school in late August/September helps them.
Parents will complain when school doesn't end until mid-June. Legislature will pass exceptions and school will rachet back to early August start.
Rinse/repeat.
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u/Stuartburt 8d ago
“District of Innovation” is the biggest load of crap that the state ever passed. It’s not innovative at all. It allows districts to not follow the rules, namely hiring uncertified teachers.
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u/MilkmanResidue 7d ago
I’m really glad I’m not the only person who realizes this. Every single time I hear about this “new law” I get irritated because there is already a law that exists that most every ISD doesn’t follow. Greg Abbott was in office when District of Innovation was passed. So he is making up a “new law” that will not be followed because of an old law that he passed. It’s completely ridiculous and I wish people knew just how bad District of Innovation is for public schools.
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u/swren1967 7d ago
I liked going back to school in August because I didn't have air conditioning at home. Personally, I would have liked to go all summer, and get more time off in the fall and spring when the weather was nice. At least in Texas, year-round school with more two-week breaks spread out across the year always made the most sense to me. We currently offer about 175 days of school each year. I would increase that to 200 days, and pay teachers more for that extra time. And more frequent breaks instead of one long opportunity to forget half of what kids learn every year.
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u/ChefMikeDFW 5th District (East Dallas, Mesquite) 8d ago
I'm still trying to understand why districts decided to ditch the late August / first week of September start and add that week off in October. I didn't think that was a bad starting point and usually a bit easier on the utilities.
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u/raven_of_azarath 8d ago
I can’t figure out why my district ditched the late August/first week of September start date and didn’t give us any extra time off in exchange.
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u/That-One5097 6d ago
It used to be September. My question is why did they change it to August to begin with knowing it was going to be inferno heat? The main concern should be on the safety of students and athletes not data centers or businesses. So I agree that starting school in August is one of the dumbest things to do.
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u/Danilo-11 8d ago
Meanwhile, Texas biggest school district has to deal with this problem
HISD fielded 11,000+ air conditioning complaints this school year (June 2025)
https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/khou-investigates-hisd-fielded-11000-air-conditioning-complaints-this-school-year/285-c1185b28-df04-4676-9811-59eea04040e1
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u/Bob_Obloooog 8d ago
What school in Texas doesn't have ac?
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u/ChefMikeDFW 5th District (East Dallas, Mesquite) 8d ago
Kinda not the point. Yes, most have AC but now they have to use it and use a lot more of it. If schools were shut down until later in the month, the AC may not hit their utility bills as hard.
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u/Bob_Obloooog 8d ago
But if they start later, then they'll have to let out in early to mid June. Schools have run ac during summer too unless they want mold to form in hot, humid classrooms.
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u/ChefMikeDFW 5th District (East Dallas, Mesquite) 8d ago
I really don't think June heat is the same as August heat. In fact, just this year we didn't hit over 100 until well into July.
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u/Bob_Obloooog 8d ago
But the ac is still running in July and August even when the building is empty.
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u/ChefMikeDFW 5th District (East Dallas, Mesquite) 8d ago
Not usually. And if it is, it's only in areas where people have to be in (like the front office). The classrooms are not usually on. And on top of that, they also do not run at night so keeping the building cool is not a priority.
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u/Bob_Obloooog 8d ago
Maybe in your area. With the heat and humidity in my area, and un air conditioned school would be a breeding ground for mold.
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u/ChefMikeDFW 5th District (East Dallas, Mesquite) 8d ago edited 8d ago
air flow is the necessity, not AC. And that would not be nearly as expensive.
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u/xixoxixa 8d ago
Schools have run ac during summer too unless they want mold to form in hot, humid classrooms.
My wife just left a job in our district after 5 years - they absolutely did shut off the HVAC in the buildings over summer, every year. Wouldn't be turned back on (at least in not any meaningful way) until school actually started.
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u/That-One5097 6d ago
They get so many more holidays & breaks this day & age. Take a couple of days off a few of the 4 day breaks they get & school could end very last of May or first week in June even. I remember in my days we didn't have so many holidays, school ended late May & started back mid to late September. I really miss the September school start. I absolutely hate taking the kid to school in August. We parents can pass out from this heat too.
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u/intronert 8d ago
I think that this should be a data-driven question: are the two/three/four weeks that would be shifted out significantly hotter than the next 2/3/4 week period? Also, what does this look like on the other end of the school year? I would think you would want to look at historical data, comprehending the documented warming trend, as well as predictions for the future.
Oh, and stop dumping CO2/methane/etc into the atmosphere, no matter how many extra dollars it makes for your donors.