Two-week potato harvest breaks at most high schools in Aroostook County cause schools to open early after the summer recess.

Several school departments started classes this week, and most other schools start next week. Some elementary schools have their first classes in early September.

Ninth- through 12th-graders in the Limestone School Department started classes on Tuesday. They will have a harvest break Sept. 22-Oct. 14. The elementary school, which includes pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, will start classes on Aug. 26.

SAD 24, which comprises Van Buren, Cyr Plantation and Hamlin, opened its high school for classes on Wednesday. Students will have a two-week harvest break starting Sept. 19

SAD 24’s Gateway Elementary School will have teacher conference days on Aug. 20 and 21, and pupils will start classes on Aug. 25.

SAD 45, Washburn, Perham and Wade, brought its high school students in on Tuesday. Grades nine through 12 get a harvest break Sept. 22-Oct. 14. The district’s elementary school pupils, kindergarten through eighth grade, will start classes Aug. 26.

School started Wednesday morning for all grades for students from Mars Hill, E Township and Blaine, all part of SAD 42. Teachers met Monday, and a tech fair was held Tuesday. All grades, pre-kindergarten through grade 12, will be on harvest break Sept. 18-Oct. 14.

High school students in SAD 33, Frenchville and St. Agatha, started classes Thursday morning. Pre-kindergarten through grade six will start classes Aug. 20. Elementary teachers will have a workshop on Aug. 19. Harvest break, for grades seven through 12, will be Sept. 22-Oct. 7.

High schoolers in SAD 27, which comprises Fort Kent, Eagle Lake, St. Francis, St. John Plantation, Wallagrass, New Canada and Winterville, plus the students from Allagash in SAD 10, started classes Thursday morning. Their harvest break will be Sept. 19-Oct. 7. Elementary school pupils, through grade eight, will start classes on Aug. 21. Elementary pupils will have a fall vacation Sept. 29-Oct. 7.

In SAD 1, which comprises Presque Isle, Castle Hill, Chapman, Mapleton and Westfield, classes for grades nine through 12 start Aug. 18. Their harvest break will run Sept. 22-Oct. 14. Elementary pupils, pre-kindergarten through grade eight, will start classes Aug. 26.

Madawaska Middle and High School students, grades six through 12, will start classes on Monday. Their harvest break will run Sept. 19-Oct. 7. Pre-kindergarten through grade five elementary pupils will start classes on Sept. 2.

Grades nine through 12 students in the Caribou School Department will start classes on Monday. They will be on harvest break Sept. 19-Oct. 14. Pre-kindergarten through grade eight pupils will start Sept. 2.

SAD 29, Houlton, Hammond, Littleton and Monticello, will have in-service days for staff today and Monday. All students start classes Tuesday, and harvest break will be Sept. 19-Oct. 14.

For SAD 20 students, Fort Fairfield, all grades will recess for harvest break. Classes start Aug. 28 and teachers have an in-service day on Aug. 25. Harvest break will be Sept. 27-Oct. 6.

SAD 70, which comprises Hodgdon, Amity, Cary Plantation, Haynesville, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick, will begin high school classes on Tuesday. The grade nine through 12 students will be on harvest break Sept. 22-Oct. 14. Elementary school pupils will start classes on Sept. 3. Pre-kindergarten through grade eight pupils will have a fall break Oct. 6-10.

School Union 122, Woodland, New Sweden and Stockholm, will bring kindergarten through grade eight pupils into their three elementary schools on Sept. 2. Their high school students follow the same schedule as Caribou High School.

There is no harvest break in SAD 25, which comprises Patten, Sherman, Sherman Mills, Sherman Station, Moro and Hersey. Teachers there meet Aug. 25 and 26, and all students start school on Aug. 28.

SAD 32, which comprises Ashland, Portage, Garfield, Masardis, Oxbow and Sheridan, will have teacher workshops on Aug. 21. Since there is no harvest break in the district, all students will begin classes on Aug. 25.

The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, at Limestone, will have its move-in day on Aug. 24, and classes start there on Aug. 25. The school does not have a harvest break.