Why does school start so early in Georgia?

If you are on social media, you may have already viewed your friends’ back-to-school photos and discussed the annual question: Why does the K-12 school year in Georgia start so early?

Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalists Patricia Murphy and Martha Dalton tackle this question on Monday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast.

Dalton, a longtime education reporter, said there are multiple answers to the question. Factors include testing, balancing breaks and local district control.

Richmond County schools, which includes Augusta, are a great example of local control, she said.

“They want spring break every year to be during the week that the Masters is played, and they don’t want the state or anyone else telling them when they have to have spring break,” Dalton said.

Murphy also reacts to the news of former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond entering the race for governor.

Thurmond last spoke to the podcast about the matter in October. At the time, he said he wasn’t ruling out a run.

“I believe that there’s an opportunity where I can make a difference. I’ve held public office, appointed and elected, so my goal there at this point in my career is to try to help the state, our nation, move to a better place,” he said.

“If there’s an opportunity to do that, then I’ll be interested in doing it.”

Now, Thurmond joins former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, in a crowded Democratic primary.

Murphy also answers some questions from the listener mailbag about the Atlanta City Council races and redistricting.