Summer vacation is ending earlier than ever before for students around the country

Summer vacations are ending sooner than ever for many students and teachers across the nation.

In Atlanta, Georgia, public schools, most students began school on August 3. In Washington, DC, many start on Monday. And in Los Angeles, many start on August 16.

The same is true for numerous other school districts that begin their semesters weeks before Labor Day.

The changes have been made with students in mind.

"It's a new experience, but we are excited because it gives kids more time to engage with the content," Catrina Brown, an English teacher in DC, told The Washington Post.

In Washington, the move was made to avoid the "summer brain drain," the period during which students backslide on the mastery of subject content they had learned the year before, according to the Post.

In Los Angeles, the earlier start helped with the flow of the school year.

"I'd say people feel that it's a better way to lay out the school year," Laurie Baccus, an assistant superintendent at Whittier School District, told the Southern California public radio station KPCC.

The August start allows classrooms to finish their semester before winter break, as well as more time for students to study for state exams.

Pushing up the school year does come with some drawbacks, especially in districts that have extremely warm summer temperatures.

"We've had days in the past couple of weeks that have been up to 117, 118," Joan Boiko, Los Angeles County district spokeswoman, told KPCC.

Bioko noted that the start time increases the district's electric bill by $6,500 more per day in August.