It may seem strange that the school year and calendar year don't line up, but there's a reason that dates back more than a century
The Real Reason the School Year Doesn’t Start in January
Updated on Jun. 11, 2025
It always feels like there are two new starts in the year, doesn’t it? The first one is obviously when the new calendar year begins in January and we say goodbye to the previous year. The second is when a new school year starts in the fall (or late summer, depending on where you live in the country).
It’s a little weird, though, right? Why does school start in the fall, and why doesn’t the school year line up with the calendar year? How did late August/early September become the default time of year for the start of school? Keep reading, because the answer might surprise you.
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Why does school start in the fall?
School generally starts in the fall because the school year dates back to when the farming schedule took precedence over everything else—yes, even school. Farming can only be done in the spring, summer and fall. Families needed the kids around to help, so their schooling took place in the colder months, when nothing could be planted or harvested. That way, kids were able to help with the livestock and other farm duties during the busy season. Different districts organized the school year around the needs of the community. For example, schools in areas with large fall harvests would have time off in September and October.
Cities operated a little bit differently, because they didn’t rely on farming to make a living. Children would attend school essentially all year and take a few short vacations throughout the year. Their school years ranged from 251 to 260 days.
How the modern school year came to be
As education became more valuable in society, stricter rules had to be established to ensure greater uniformity in the school system. In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to enact a compulsory public education law, making it mandatory for both rural and urban areas to offer schooling. Parents who didn’t send their children to school were fined.
Shortly after that, a compromise was made between urban and rural school systems to run at the same times of the year, starting in the fall, so kids could still help on the farm during the summer. And that is how the 180-day school year came to be.
So, even though most kids spend their summer at the pool or playing video games—not helping to tend the crops—they have the farming season to thank for their three months of summer freedom.
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Sources:
- Journal of Inquiry & Action in Education: “The History of School and Summer Vacation”
- Find Law: “Compulsory Education Laws: Background”
