They’re back. Is it too soon or too late to go back to school?

The children are back in school across metro Atlanta today. New shoes. New teachers. New bedtimes.  (At least for mine, whose bedtimes crept dangerously close to 11 on many nights.)

Relief or regret?

Of course, we are in the midst of a heatwave on the first day of school, making me wonder again about the wisdom of starting in early August. My system joins the early starters next year with an Aug. 3 start date, which will result in a 7-week summer break.

Although the 3,000-plus year-round schools in this country follow varied schedules, a lot of them opt for a six-week abbreviated summer and shorter breaks throughout the rest of the year. Combined, year-round schools serve 2.3 million students, according to the National Association for Year-Round Education.

The traditional calendar is often preferred by parents who have the time and money to create enriching summers for their children, enrolling them in space camps and escorting them to museums. But parents with fewer resources …