The post-Labor Day faction won this year's school calendar debate, so Northgate students will start school on Sept. 7 next year.

Start times at Northgate have fluctuated over the last several years depending on the make-up of the school board, with two groups equally dedicated to their views on whether classes should begin before or after the fall holiday.

The later-start group maintains that families like to incorporate the holiday into end-of-summer vacations, and dislike the interruption of the school schedule with a holiday so soon after classes begin. The early-start group says that students are involved in athletics and have to attend classes at Beattie, so they might as well get credit for attendance at Northgate as well. An earlier start also allows for additional holidays during the school year, and keeps students in line with what their counterparts at other schools are doing.

This year's vote on the 2010-11 calendar was 5-4. In favor of the Sept. 7 start date were board members Marita Bartholomew, Charles Miklos, Tony Barbarino, Daniel O'Keefe and Susan Nolan. Opposed were Gary Paladin, David Natale, Shannon Smithey and Shirl Reinhart.