Does anyone know why The City is closed during the peak summer period over the span of two weeks (7 operating days)?
because school starts back up in the area the week before... and because college starts back up around that time as well.
Sounds logical. I just figured during one of the biggest season's ever, the park would be open full swing.....for folks like me ;-)
I thought it might be to change over from one festival from another.
Thanks Swoosh
It's still an amazing thing to me that they would close like that in August. Even many of the music shows and other entertainment venues cut back in the Branson area during this time, or close. Some of the headlining stars take a break for a few weeks at this time. I know they are getting a little break before the fall festival stuff and then the Christmas things crank up.
All the regional schools run from mid-August to mid-/late-May. Around the time I graduated (1981), or shortly after, Arkansas actually passed a law that classes couldn't start before Labor Day; this was because many Arkansas schools at the time weren't air-conditioned, and stuffing the typical 30 kids (at that time) into a sweltering classroom just isn't conducive to learning.
I don't know when they reversed that, but I suspect the football season had something to do with it.
It's funny, in the northeastern states, where summer heat isn't a big deal at all, they tend to run the old, traditional Labor Day to mid-/late-June schedule. They have proms when Southern states have already let out for the summer.
Our public school here in Oklahoma is going from Sept 1st to Mat 27th for next term... Got to love a 3 month summer with my kids.
I'm in AR and in the Ozarks area, schools return the week of Aug 19.
I would imagine it takes time to shift out of the Kids Fest. I thought it was as detailed as Christmas, lots of details.
All valid points (I too hail from NWA). What still makes me curious is the fact that I always go the first and second week of August and never run into "closures" like this. Very odd. I'll still be able to go, but just thought it was strange to ramp down just because of schools being back in session, especially during the 50th.
Cost of Operation > Money Brought In
If the state of Missouri and Arkansas would make the school systems pay their own utility bill (for the air cond) until the day after labor day it would stop this nonsense. Has anyone every thought what a waste of money it is to run the air conditioner for two weeks in August x every public school in the state. Schools should run from the day after labor day until the Thursday before Memorial day. If they need extra days to meet state requirements(180 days) quit taking so many days off. The amount spent would sure by hundreds if not thousands of computers for the schools, pay for extra teachers to teach the children, or give (to some hard working) well deserved raises to teachers.
Ooooh. With all the red tape the government puts on schools these days, the number of days almost requires the early start. Districts are forced to compete for test scores which means they have to get as many days of instruction in as possible before the dreaded state test in April (Sure they could change the testing dates, but that would require action by government officials.). Besides, the patrons of our schools will not - in fact, they will refuse to - send their kids to school in June (regardless of legal attendance requirements).
As for the breaks, try spending five days a week with 25 preteens or pubescent middle schoolers and try to teach them the parts of speech or how to figure the area of a growing circle. You'll need a break - especially between Christmas and Spring Break. As for our school, we really don't let out for much beyond holidays, and our patrons have indicated that we are one of the districts in the nation that has the What Parents Want reward.
That being said, the biggest waste in education, these days, is made because of the strings being attached by politicians in state capitals and in the federal government. We could reduce our staff, save money by consolidating and pinpoint staff development, and simplify so many processes, if the politicians would stop pretending they have more expertise than the educated staffs and administrators in local school districts.
Oh look, I have strayed so far off topic I'm going to need GPS to get me back on the grid.