Island businesses and towns have long braced for the mid-August labor pinch – a seasonal churn driven by departing college and out-of-the-area high school students as well as student athletes returning to their commitments – knowing they can lean on local students to bridge the gap. But this year, that dependable pipeline is coming up short, compressing the window in which some area students are available and tightening the already-strained staffing picture for some employers across the Island.

“For decades, there has been an understanding that our local schools would not open until after Labor Day.