Summer ends early as year-round school arrives in Hopewell It's still July but students in Hopewell are going back to school. and last updated 2021-07-26 18:16:53-04 HOPEWELL, Va. -- It's still July but students in Hopewell are going back to school. Hopewell Schools began its balanced calendar, also known as year-round school, on Monday. Hopewell's school year is spread out over a greater amount of time. Students are in class for 45 days and then get a 15-day break. During those breaks, called intersessions, students can either spend the time at home or sign-up for optional classes -- including some non-traditional ones like entrepreneurship, swimming, or art history.