Many of the kids at Bryan Elementary School in Coeur d’Alene probably feel like they got something of a summer vacation extension.

You know, through the whole 2016-17 school year.

Bryan put homework lovers on notice that the same ‘ol, same ‘ol just might never be the same. Principal Kristin Gorringe and Bryan teachers, after extensive research, decided that homework shouldn’t automatically be built into the curriculum. Teachers are now empowered to decide whether their classrooms will be given homework or not for the entire year.

This dream-come-true for many students is ripe for parental criticism. When little Johnny or Susie comes home homeworkless, is that effectively preparing them for the trials and tribulations that await them as eventual sixth-graders and beyond? Should the school day really end at 3:30 in an American education system that is often criticized for being short and soft on hard studying anyway? And does a no-homework-rule prompt criticism of good teachers who might be accused of wanting to do less work themselves? No homework means less grading, doesn’t it?

Part of the reason there’s a flap over Bryan’s approach to homework is that not every parent understood what was happening. Fault for that could be the school’s or the parents’; our guess is probably some of both. Because homework is as instilled in our culture as No. 2 pencils are in classrooms, a sudden homework-free schedule could be shocking to many households. But that doesn’t automatically make it bad.

We’re eager to see how the Bryan experiment plays out. It’s true that some studies have shown homework for homework’s sake improves education not a whit, especially for kids in the earlier grades. It’s also true that longer hours of study and the discipline that can encourage will benefit some students in the long run.

It’s our hope that Bryan and district officials monitor and compare standardized test results in the homework vs. no homework classrooms. They also should watch closely the academic performance of these kids in subsequent years. But there’s another dimension that bears scrutiny, which will be harder to measure but should not be overlooked. That has to do with the students’ mental health and general happiness. Miserable kids generally are miserable students. Even worse, they become miserable adults.

All homework? No homework? This just might be one of those times when a little balance will go a long way.