It’s hard to imagine a more wholesome group of lawbreakers than the folks who are welcoming students back to Mooresville Graded Schools on Wednesday. At an open house Monday, teachers dispensed hugs and treats as K-2 students and their parents checked out Rocky River Elementary School.
North Carolina’s school calendar law requires most districts to wait until Aug. 26 to bring kids back this year. It’s a move designed to ensure a uniform summer vacation season for the tourism industry.
But a growing number of school boards have decided it’s more important to synchronize calendars with the community colleges that offer tuition-free classes to high school students and to give first-semester exams before winter break. This year Mooresville is among 28 districts opening early without state permission.
Most will bring students back next week. Mooresville starts earlier to build in longer breaks at the end of each quarter.
“After the first nine weeks we have a one-week fall break. Then at Christmas we have two and a half weeks. And then at the end of third quarter we have a week’s spring break,” said Mooresville Chief Communications Officer Tanae McLean.
The only penalty from the state is a letter scolding districts for ignoring the law. Two North Carolina districts — Union County in 2023 and Carteret County this summer — were forced to return to the late-August start date after residents sued to challenge early openings.
Districts such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which is complying with the law, have lobbied lawmakers to grant flexibility. Every year multiple calendar flexibility bills are introduced. But this year, once again, the General Assembly adjourned without granting flexibility or putting teeth into the law.
McLean says the early start is popular with Mooresville employees and families.
“It’s really about just letting us have local control and do what’s right for our students here,” she said. “And then people in other areas may need different solutions for their students.”
The situation is similar across the state line. South Carolina law says districts must wait until the third Monday in August — Aug. 19 this year — to start classes. But only two South Carolina districts are waiting that long, with the rest claiming an exemption for modified year-round calendars. South Carolina schools in the Charlotte region started bringing students back last week.
When students return
Here’s the schedule of North Carolina districts opening before Aug. 26, according to a report to the General Assembly.
Aug. 7: Mooresville.
Aug. 8: Rowan-Salisbury**, Surry, Stanly.
Aug. 12: Clinton city, Granville, Henderson, Iredell-Statesville, Hyde, Kannapolis city, Lexington city, Polk, Rutherford, Warren, Winston Salem-Forsyth.
Aug. 13: Cabarrus, Elkin city, Mount Airy city, Person County.
Aug. 14: Avery*, Cleveland, Gaston, Lee, Lincoln, Halifax, Harnett, Stokes, Washington, Yadkin.
Aug. 19: Alleghany*, Ashe*, Graham*, Haywood*, Jackson*, Mitchell*, Sampson, Swain*, Watauga*, Yancey*.
*Some districts in the mountains have waivers to open early because they tend to have a lot of snow days.**Rowan-Salisbury Schools has an exemption tied to persistently low performance.
Year-round schools and college-based high schools are also allowed to start early.
