Sen. Jack Goodman,
R- Mount Vernon, and Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) urge all
Missouri school districts to comply with the new uniform school start
date passed by the Missouri Legislature in 2007. Changes made in Senate Bill 64,
allow school districts to set their own starting dates, providing only
that the date cannot be earlier than 10 days prior to Labor Day without
the board holding a public hearing allowing district patrons to voice
their concerns on the issue.
Associated Industries continues to support this change as a positive move for both Missouri’s families and the state’s economy.
Due
to work commitments, summer camps, summer school and a myriad of other
activities, many families can only fit vacations at the end of the
summer.
“A uniform
school-start date protects families’ ability to take summer vacations,
be involved in sports and summer camps and take advantage of other
important non-classroom learning opportunities,” said Sen. Goodman.
“Student attendance has also been shown to increase as school starts
later.”
Teachers from
throughout the state were among those who voiced strong support for a
start date later in August, explaining that the earlier start date
meant that the frequently hotter than 90 degree temperatures impaired
students attention and even forced early dismissals.
“We
worked closely with school officials and lawmakers to craft a bill that
would accommodate the needs of all involved,” said Chip Mason, chairman
of AIM’s Tourism Committee. “That’s why I was so disturbed to learn
that a number of school districts are opting out of the uniform start
date, and instead bringing students back to the classroom in the heat
of the early days of August and causing them to miss quality family
time.”
A recent study
conducted by the University of Missouri and the Department of Economic
Development found that the state loses $1.58 million per day in
much-needed tax revenue generated by tourism for every day that school
is in session before Labor Day.
The
later start date helps maintain state and local tax revenues, and
enables school districts to pay less on such operating expenses as
student transportation, air conditioning and electricity.
“This
is a simple change for our state’s school districts, but a vitally
important change for Missouri’s families and businesses,” said Gary
Marble, president of Associated Industries.
Sen.
Goodman and AIM encourage all concerned citizens to attend school board
meetings and write letters to their school districts and to local
newspapers, urging every district in Missouri to comply with the
uniform start date.
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