Students' summer vacations may be cut short next year. President Barack Obama is proposing to cut back on summer breaks, but it's getting a cool reception from local schools.
The president says the current school calendar is putting the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage over other countries that have longer school years, but many local schools say it just doesn't make sense financially to change the school schedule. Students from Columbia Elementary School weren't too thrilled with the idea of a shorter summer vacation.
"Summer vacation--it just gives me time to not be stressed about school and homework," Julia Gonzales, a sixth grader at Columbia Elementary said. "It just gives me time to hang out."
Natasha Bramer says it would cut into her extracurricular activities and even school work.
"If they made the school day longer, I don't know if I could practice volleyball or read some more or even do all of my homework," Bramer said.
The student body president says he doesn't like the idea either, but there could be an up side.
"A lot of kids aren't doing the best in school and they could get better grades and everything," Jackson Olinger explained.
Columbia's principal, Bill Jager, says it's a quality versus quantity equation.
"We can extend the time but if the quality doesn't extend in the classroom, things aren't going to change," Jager said.
Additionally, the school district's superintendent said the proposal might not add up.
"How is something like this going to be paid for?" Superintendent Dr. Carl Olsen wondered. "So many of us have cut really good student programs and instructional programs already and to take on another program with no adequate funding, there's just probably no way at this point."
However, some parents say the extra money might be worth it.
"Our kids are more important than anything else I think, than how much it's going to cost," Amie Guerrero, a mother of two school-aged children said.
Although it's just an idea at this point, the White House and education secretary believe the extra time would boost low test scores and prepare students for 21st century challenges.
