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Summer vacation might end early
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Also by Jennifer Fenton:
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Summer camps and vacation spots beware: A state lawmaker introduced a bill Monday that would allow Wisconsin schools to open before Sept. 1.
Current law prohibits any institution from beginning fall semester classes before Sept. 1, with the exception of medical school classes and fourth-year veterinary medicine school classes.
The proposal would put more power into the hands of local school districts, Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said, by allowing them to decide what day they will reopen their doors.
"My bill would let local school boards make that decision," Ott said.
Ott drafted the legislation after a meeting with a school superintendent in his district. From the meeting, Ott said, he gathered both athletic and academic reasons to support his proposal.
"This was a topic they brought up," Ott said. "In talking to the school superintendents, they cited the fact that fall athletic teams are already practicing in August."
However, Ott acknowledged athletic reasons alone would not have been sufficient to propose the bill.
The academic reasons for the proposal, he added, stem from annual national testing, including Advanced Placement tests that take place every May.
"The school superintendents felt that it's more beneficial for the students to have the week of school before the tests than the week after in June," Ott said.
The current ruling on the start date of schools was enacted as part of a previous Wisconsin State budget. Ott said the provision was tossed into the budget unbeknownst to many legislators who voted to pass the bill.
"I’m sure there were people who voted for that budget bill back in 1999 who didn’t even know it was in there," Ott added.
While the proposed bill has the support of the superintendents from the school system in Ott’s district, he said the tourism industry does not support the proposal.
Michelle Purta, general manager of Skyline Hotel and Suites in the Wisconsin Dells, is among those who oppose the bill.
Purta expressed concern for the implications the bill could have for her staff.
"Being a seasonal business, if my teenagers go back early, I would be in a bit of a tizzy trying to find a replacement," Purta said.
Ott said if the proposal passes through committee, he hopes it will pass in time to go into effect for the 2008-09 academic school year.
Patrick Gasper, communications officer for the Department of Public Instruction, declined comment.
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The current rule was a reasoned compromise between school distrticts and the tourist industry. Ott saying that legislators didn’t even know the measure was in there disrepects the work done at that time to reach that compromise, and disrepects his colleagues. We’ll see what legs this has.
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The article neglects to mention that Wisconsin schools used to allow earlier start dates. Less than 10 years ago, in fact. It would have been nice to hear why that happened in the first place, and whether anyone in the legislature is aware of the humor in this reversal.
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Don’t worry, the Wisconsin Dells summer-vacation lobby will block this one.