(NEXSTAR) – It may be the dog days of summer, but it's already time for millions of children around the country to head back to class.

The once-common practice of going back to school after Labor Day has grown rare in 2025. In fact, some schools have been back in session for weeks.

Schools in Arizona welcomed students back as early as July 16 this year. In Jackson, Mississippi, kids went back on July 28. Elementary schoolers in Chula Vista, California, were in their desks starting July 23.

A Pew Research study of 1,500 public school districts in 2023 found wide regional variation in when kids head back to school. The earliest districts resumed instruction in mid-July and the latest start dates were in early September. The most common first week of school that year was Aug. 14 to 18.

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