To the editor:

Given that school is now out, I wanted to give our school administrators a little lesson on the seasons: Summer officially begins on June 21, and fall on Sept. 22 according to my calendar.

Like many parents I have spoken to, I was shocked that the first day of school for the 2004-05 year is Aug. 11. Whatever happened to starting school after Labor Day? How about at least a little later in August? We had already scheduled a vacation during that time never dreaming school would start so soon.

Starting school so early also doesn’t make sense from an energy point of view. The average high temperature in May is 75, while in August it is 88. It would be more logical to go a week or two longer in May, when it is much cooler, and begin closer to September than in mid-August, when it is scorching hot. Right now, the schools try to jam field days and field trips during the storm and tornado season of May. It makes no sense whatsoever to me. Let the kids enjoy summer during summer.

Jim Jesse,

Lawrence