When does your kid return to school? Here are start dates for schools around Cincinnati.

Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
·7 min read
Guest columnist Dan Regenold of Glendale writes that kids are being penalized by keeping them in underperforming schools − let them move to a better environment that might work − and send the parents money to accomplish this.

August is here, signaling the start of back-to-school season for families in Greater Cincinnati.

If you're a student or guardian, you're likely preparing by purchasing school supplies, backpacks, clothes and more. But before you break out the shopping list, it may be helpful to know exactly when the school year begins.

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Figuring out when your school starts can be confusing since many districts offer staggered start dates by grade and student last name.

That's why we put together a list of start dates for each school district around Cincinnati.

When is the first day of school for students around Cincinnati?

Butler County

Edgewood City Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-12), Aug. 22 (half-day preschool and kindergarten, last names A-M only), Aug. 23 (half-day preschool and kindergarten, last names N-Z only), Aug. 24 (all-day preschool and kindergarten, all students)

Fairfield City Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

Hamilton City Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Lakota Local Schools: Aug. 16 (phase-in day K-12, last names A-L only), Aug. 17 (phase-in day K-12, last names M-Z only), Aug. 18 (grades 1-12, all students; kindergarten phase-in day for half of the students. Details to be provided by each school.), Aug. 19 (kindergarten phase-in day for half of the students. Details to be provided by each school.), Aug. 23 (kindergarten, all students), Aug. 24 (preschool phase-in day, AM students only), Aug. 25 (preschool phase-in day, PM students only), Aug. 29 (preschool, all students)

Madison Local Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 6-12), Aug. 22 (preschool; kindergarten, last names A-L only; grades 1-5), Aug. 23 (kindergarten, last names M-Z only)

Middletown City Schools: Aug. 11 (grades 1-8, last names A-L only; freshman orientation), Aug. 12 (grades 1-8, last names A-L only; grades 10-12), Aug. 15 (grades 1-12; kindergarten, last names A-L only), Aug. 16 (kindergarten, last names M-Z only), Aug. 17 (kindergarten, all students)

Monroe Local Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Ross Local Schools: Aug. 15 (all students)

Talawanda City Schools: Aug. 16 (grades 2-12), Aug. 19 (kindergarten and first grade), Aug. 22 (preschool)

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Boone County

Boone County Schools: Aug. 18 (all students)

Campbell County

Bellevue Independent Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 1-12), Aug. 29- Sept. 2 (preschool transition week), Sept. 6 (preschool, all students)

Campbell County Schools: Aug. 10 (grades K-12), Aug. 15 (preschool)

Dayton Independent Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

Fort Thomas Independent Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Newport Independent Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

Southgate Independent Schools: Aug. 18 (all students)

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Clermont County

Batavia Local Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

Bethel-Tate Local Schools: Aug. 18 (all students)

Clermont Northeastern Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-12; kindergarten staggered start, male students only), Aug. 19 (kindergarten staggered start, female students only), Aug. 22 (kindergarten, all students), Aug. 24 (preschool)

Felicity-Franklin Local Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

Goshen Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-12), Aug. 18-22 (kindergarten phase-in days, families will be notified)

Milford Exempted Village Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day, last names A-L), Aug. 18 (kindergarten phase-in day, last names M-Z), Aug. 19 (kindergarten, all students)

New Richmond Exempted Village Schools: Aug. 17 (grades K, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10), Aug. 18 (preschool; grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12), Aug. 19 (all students)

West Clermont Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-6, 9 and some kindergarten students), Aug. 19 (grades 1-12), Aug. 22 (all students)

Williamsburg Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-12), Sept. 2 (All kindergarten students report. More information on kindergarten staggered start dates will be announced.)

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Hamilton County

Cincinnati Public Schools: Aug. 18 (all students)

Deer Park Community City Schools: Aug. 16 (grades 1-12, kindergarten, last names A-L only), Aug. 17 (kindergarten, last names M-Z only)

Finneytown Local Schools: Sept. 6 (all students)

Forest Hills Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades K-12, last names M-Z only), Aug. 19 (grades K-12, last names A-L only), Aug. 22 (Preschool phase-in days will begin. Building administration will communicate details.)

Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1-12, kindergarten attend by appointment), Aug. 19 (kindergarten attend by appointment), Aug. 22 (kindergarten, all students)

Lockland City Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Loveland City Schools: Aug. 15 (last names A-L only), Aug. 16 (last names M-Z only)

Madeira City Schools: Aug. 16 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 17 (kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 18 (kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 19 (kindergarten, all students), Aug. 22 (preschool phase-in day), Aug. 23 (preschool phase-in day), Aug. 24 (preschool, all students)

Mariemont City Schools: Aug. 22 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 23 (kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 24 (kindergarten phase-in day)

Mount Healthy City Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

North College Hill City Schools: Aug. 15 (all students)

Northwest Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9; Houston Early Learning Center students, last names A-M only), Aug. 19 (grades K, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12; Houston Early Learning Center students, last names N-Z only), Aug. 22 (all students)

Norwood City Schools: Aug. 25 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day, last names A-M only), Aug. 26 (kindergarten phase-in day, last names N-Z only), Aug. 29 (preschool and kindergarten, all students)

Oak Hills Local Schools: Aug. 18 (grades pre-K-12, last names A-L only), Aug. 19 (grades pre-K-12, last names M-Z only), Aug. 22 (all students)

Princeton City Schools: Aug. 11 (grades 1-5, 6, 9 and all new enrollees), Aug. 12 (grades 1-12), Aug. 15 (preschool and kindergarten)

Reading City Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 7-12), Aug. 18 (grades 1-6), Aug. 22 (preschool and kindergarten)

Southwest Local Schools: Aug. 16 (all students)

St. Bernard- Elmwood Place City Schools: Aug. 11 (all students)

Sycamore Community Schools: Aug. 29 (preschool; grades 1-6, last names A-K only; grades 7, 9 and 12; new district students in grades 10-11), Aug. 30 (grades 1-6, last names L-Z only; grades 8-12), Aug. 31 (grades 1-12, all students; kindergarten phase-in day), Sept. 1 (kindergarten phase-in day)

Three Rivers Local Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Winton Woods City Schools: Aug. 22 (all students)

Wyoming City Schools: Aug. 10 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 11 (kindergarten phase-in day), Aug. 12 (kindergarten, all students)

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Kenton County

Beechwood Independent Schools: Aug. 16 (grades K-12), Sept. 6 (preschool)

Covington Independent Schools: Aug. 29 (grades K-12), Sept. 6 (preschool)

Erlanger-Elsmere Independent Schools: Aug. 17 (all students)

Kenton County Schools: Aug. 17 (grades K-12), Aug. 24 (preschool)

Ludlow Independent Schools: Aug. 15 (Gateway Program students), Aug. 17 (grades K-12), Aug. 22 (Enzweiler Building Program students), Sept. 6 (preschool)

Warren County

Carlisle Local Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 1-12), Aug. 22 (kindergarten)

Franklin City Schools: Aug. 16 (grades 1-12; kindergarten phase-in day, last names A-M only), Aug. 17 (kindergarten phase-in day, last names N-Z only), Aug. 18 (kindergarten, all students)

Kings Local Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 1-8, last names A-L only; grades 9 and 12), Aug. 18 (grades 1-8, last names M-Z only; grades 9-12, all students), Aug. 19 (grades 1-12, all students), Aug. 22 (kindergarten, last names A-L only), Aug. 23 (kindergarten, last names M-Z only), Aug. 24 (kindergarten, all students)

Lebanon City Schools: Aug. 17 (grades 7 and 9), Aug. 18 (grades 8, 10, 11 and 12), Aug. 19 (grades 1-6), Aug. 23 (preschool and kindergarten)

Little Miami Local Schools: Aug. 15 (grades 6-12), Aug. 18 (pre-K-5)

Mason City Schools: Aug. 15 (grades K-12, last names A-L only), Aug. 16 (grades K-12, last names M-Z only), Aug. 17 (grades K-12, all students), Aug. 22 (preschool)

Springboro City Schools: Aug. 16 (grades 1-12; kindergarten staggered start, last names A-M only), Aug. 17 (kindergarten staggered start, last names N-Z only), Aug. 18 (kindergarten, all students), Aug. 22 (preschool)

Wayne Local Schools: Aug. 15 (preschool and kindergarten), Aug. 16 (pre-K-12, all students)

The Enquirer will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Back-to-school: Here's when students around Cincinnati start classes