GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Cherry Creek Schools on Thursday will join a growing number of Colorado districts heading back to school. It’s the first time Cherry Creek has returned this early and now a group of parents is starting a petition in hopes of putting an end to it.
There’s no doubt how many Colorado kids feel about this time of year.
“Summer is the best season,” 8-year-old Nick Lamar said.
“I don`t like this day,” said Nick’s sister, Mary Grace Lamar.
The two are bummed because they have to go back to school on Thursday, and it turns out their mom isn’t too happy either.
“Mainly, it’s that it cuts into our family time,” Molly Lamar said.
When Lamar noticed the start date at Cherry Creek Schools will continue to get earlier in the coming years, she said she wasn’t the only one who grew upset.
“It changes the whole flow of traffic for the store,” said Sheila Lagasse, owner of Crave-It! Frozen Yogurt.
As a mom and a small-business owner, Lagasse says the earlier start also makes hiring teens hard.
“I’m hiring them for like maybe two months at the most, it’s more like six weeks,” she said.
It’s one of several reasons why more than 1,100 people have signed a petition urging the Cherry Creek District to start school no earlier than Aug. 21. The petition is available to view on Change.org.
“We’ve heard from parents,” said Tustin Amole, spokeswoman for Cherry Creek Schools.
The problem is Amole said parents were the ones pushing for the change. A poll of 5,000 parents, students and teachers in 2013 found 78 percent supported the schedule change, 15 percent were against it and 6 percent were undecided, according to the school district.
The poll found most favored ending the first semester before the holidays and finishing the year before Memorial Day. Amole said that left district officials with an earlier start date because state law requires a certain number of school days each year.
“We feel like we have heard an overwhelming request for this,” Amole said.
Molly Lamar said she also supports ending the semester before winter break and finishing the year before Memorial Day. She said the problem is there are too many other breaks during the school year.
“Fall break seems to be unnecessary,” she said.
The district insists eliminating fall break is one of the least popular options.
“The number of people who suggested (eliminating fall break) as an alternative was 1.24 percent,” Amole said. “Fall break is very, very popular with our families.”