May be a dumb question, but I'm asking anyway...

Are you in Texas? A July 21 start date sounds like schools in other states (Indiana for example) that are running on the newest, all the rage, amazing school plan....the "balanced calendar".

Being simplistic here, this calendar goes 6 weeks on (5 day weeks), 3 weeks off, etc., with 6 weeks off for summer. This makes both semesters exactly the same length (IOW..."balanced"). To make everything "balance" the school year has to start in mid-July.

If you are here in Texas, this would be the first school I've heard doing this.

As for me, we start on Aug. 5.