I can't speak for other regions, but the reason school starts in Kentucky so much earlier than when I was a kid is because there are way more breaks now, like a week of "fall break," more teacher in-service training, and testing days that don't count as instructional days. Temps used to be a factor, but schools in the South are now all built to have A/C. But that A/C ain't cheap. And school consolidation also means that kids are spending way more time on school buses, sometimes an hour each way, and they are not air conditioned.
But that A/C ain't cheap. And school consolidation also means that kids are spending way more time on school buses, sometimes an hour each way, and they are not air conditioned.