The response has been good from teachers, parents and students. It doesn't make everyone happy, but we're going to give it one more year to gauge all the aspects of the calendar. If the number of days given as holidays remained unchanged, and a uniform start date was set near the first day of September, school attendance would shift from August, typically the hottest month in Texas, to the relatively cooler months of May and June. That would probably mean lower cooling costs. TEA does not collect data on how much money school districts spend on electricity.
Costs tend to vary by region and during peak demand times, making estimates difficult.
This assumes that with no school in August, schools would use the same amount of electricity as they do in July. July is typically the month with the least amount of electricity use, because most schools are out for the summer. Few cooling systems are shut down completely in the summer, to help avoid mold infestations, meaning July electricity use, even with schools closed, is still substantial. A shrinking summer season is a tough blow to the state's travel and tourism industry. The hotels, restaurants and a variety of other businesses report falling revenues in August, compared to June and July.