In this article, the author discusses the controversial decision of the school board from the Broward County, Florida to start the school year on August 9. School boards across the country that are grappling with the idea of starting school earlier in the year are increasingly running up against strong opposition from parents. In many districts, including Broward County, school officials believe an earlier start date will provide more learning time, and will ultimately lead to higher scores on state-mandated tests, while parents--along with many students and teachers--don't want to give up a long summer holiday. Parents who fought for a later start date argued that children need the extra time away from the pressures of school so they could have time for summer camp or family vacations and save their money that could be better spent on instruction.