MDR’s annual update to its comprehensive national school database shows a consistent national shift toward earlier opening dates and earlier closing dates over the past 20 years.

Schools Opening Before September

For the 2007-2008 school year, 73% of schools reported an opening date prior to September 1 (compared with just over 50% in the late 1980s).

Percentage of Schools Opening Before September 1

The most common period for school openings is between August 16 and August 31. There are, however, major regional differences, with nearly two-thirds of districts in the Southeast opening August 15 or earlier and virtually no districts in the Northeast opening that early.

2007-2008 District Opening Dates by Region

Closing Date Trends

Closing dates have also shifted earlier in the calendar year. In 2007-2008, 40% of schools closed before June 1 compared with 24% of schools closed before June 1 in the late 1980s.

School Closing Dates

Year Round Schools

Although the percentage of schools that operate twelve months a year is still relatively small (4.1% in 2007-2008), the number of schools that are adopting year-round schedules has increased consistently and has more than quadrupled over the past two decades.

Percentage of Schools that Operate Year Round

Call your MDR Representative at 800-333-8802 for counts and more information about open and close dates.

For media inquiries, contact Lynn Scott at lscott@dnb.com or 203-926-4800.