Early in the morning, students already are showing up with backpacks strapped on their shoulders for their first week of school while others are still sleeping in.
Eleven public school districts in the Charlotte area are starting earlier than state law allows. According to North Carolina law, schools are required to begin no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26. That’s August 24 this year. State law also requires schools to close no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
The law sets exceptions for certain schools and academies, including year-round schools, cooperative innovative/early college schools and qualifying districts that have a good-cause calendar waiver. And cases of enforcement against districts for starting early are rare to nonexistent…