Back To School? Already? Where Did Summer Go?

Used to be, kids in most area schools went back into the classrooms after Labor Day.

Man, those were the days.

For the 2012-13 school year, Gwinnett County Schools open Aug. 6, as do those in Fort Stewart. Clarke and Oconee County students return to the classroom on Aug. 8, and students at Barrow and Walton County students hit the books on Aug. 13. 

To some, it seems as if summer vacation gets shorter and shorter each year. To others (harried parents running out of kid-friendly entertainment options, perhaps?), it can't come soon enough.

So our question here is, do you feel that summer vacation is too short? Do kids head back to school too early? Or do they need that classroom time in order to prepare themselves for a successful future?