Va. Senate panel protects post-Labor Day school law
RICHMOND – To the relief of tourist destinations like Virginia Beach, state law specifying a post-Labor Day start to the school year appears safe for another year.
The Senate Education and Health Committee Thursday rejected two House of Delegates bills that would have allowed school divisions to determine when the school calendar can commence.
Existing law specifies that school divisions must start the instructional year after Labor Day, though localities can receive waivers.
Thursday, the Senate committee spiked two bills – HB 1319 and HB 1467 – to give school divisions more say in when they welcome back students from summer break.
Del. Don Merricks, R-Pittsylvania County, offered HB 1319 to allow exempt the cities of Danville and Martinsville as well as Pittsylvania and Henry counties from the Labor Day rule.
Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, reminded Merricks that despite the failure of his bill the Senate budget included language to renew for another year state Labor Day waivers granted to local school divisions.
This year, 78 of Virginia’s 132 school divisions have waivers to open schools before Labor Day, according to the state Department of Education.
Legislation proposed by Del. Thomas “Tag” Greason, R-Loudoun County, was more expansive – his HB 1467 would have given school divisions across the state freedom to set their own start dates.
Both were defeated in the committee which recently killed SB 1099 from Sen. Ralph Smith, R-Bedford County, to strike the Labor Day language from the law.
-Julian Walker, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot
February 14, 2013 - 3:59 PM
This is absolutely ridiculous. Here – I understand the tourism industry’s point of view. Okay? King’s Dominion and the Beach area heavily enjoy the money coming in during June-August vacation folks. Got that.
But, see, the thing is, the setting of the school calendar should be set by the local school boards (heck, what are they there for then?)!
The lawmakers who voted against these bills are protecting the greedy tourism industry, folks. They should be ashamed that their vote is a direct support of the industry and a direct vote against the school systems across the Commonwealth.
What losers. I propose that we all boycott Kings Dominion and all of the like until this law is rescinded.
I grew up in a tourist area, Virginia Beach, and I worked in an industry heavily reliant upon tourist dollars for survival. I personally feel the issue should be left to local boards to decide. If they have heavy tourist industry concerns where high school-age labor is needed to make things work economically, then they should be able to set the school calendars accordingly. If tourism isn’t such a concern, then the schools should be able to schedule differently.
Why don’t the kids just attend the regular year,quit letting them off everytime it sprinkles.When I was a kid we went to school in knee deep snow. Stop the Barney approach with the poor little darlins and send them to school!