Assessing the impacts of traditional school year calendar start dates

• Examines traditional school year begin/end dates and their implications for plant operations.
• Explanatory and predictive methods are derived based upon historical energy consumption for a school.
• A model is developed to evaluate begin/end dates as well as identify ideal dates with respect to operational costs.
• Analysis of proposed public policy in the state of Arizona regarding legislated mandates to change when schools begin/end.

The importance of education is undeniable. With considerable investment by the public in education, effectiveness and mechanisms for delivery must continually be monitored and evaluated. Proposals to alter the school calendar year therefore merit serious consideration if this translates to better management of scarce resources. Among those facets of school level costs that offer an opportunity for significant savings are plant operations. Any savings that enable resources to be focused more centrally on delivery and support of the educational mission are clearly worthy of exploration. At issue is the variability of school beginning and ending dates across the United States. It is hypothesized that strategic planning of break periods can lead to decreases in energy costs, and usage. For example, in the southwest United States, hot summer conditions can lead to significant spikes in energy consumption at times of the year when energy prices are at their highest. An approach for evaluating energy usage patterns relative to school calendars is developed, where usage and climate conditions are sought to be better understood. An optimization model is structured, formulated and applied capable of identifying ideal school start/end dates with plant operation costs in mind. Application results for a school are presented, with findings discussed within the context of proposed state-level public policy.