General Assembly ponders summer start for students

RICHMOND

The debate is a perennial one at the General Assembly.

School officials say they need to start classes before Labor Day to prepare students for testing in May. The tourism industry says starting earlier would hurt businesses - and, by extension, schools, through lost tax revenue.

In the past, the industry has gotten its way. But this year, a compromise that would allow schools to start before Labor Day on some years may have a chance.

On Monday, the bill, from Beach Republican Del. Bob Tata, passed the House Education Committee, where previous efforts have died. Tata is the committee's chairman.

Tata's proposal would allow school divisions to start before Labor Day on years when the holiday falls on or after Sept. 5. That will happen nine times between now and 2030, including this year.

An identical bill passed the Senate Education Committee but was referred to Commerce and Labor, which has killed similar measures.

Tempers flared during a hearing on Tata's bill, with opponents demanding statistics that showed students suffer when school starts after Labor Day, and backers saying there was no evidence on the other side that businesses would lose if school started earlier once every few years.

Backers of Tata's proposal say Virginia's post-Labor Day start requirement puts many students at a disadvantage, because they're competing on national standardized tests, such as the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, against students from states that are allowed to start school in August. Meanwhile, they're competing on the SOLs against students from the more than six dozen Virginia localities that have obtained exemptions from the post-Labor Day requirement. Those students all have extra study time, proponents say.

Localities can be exempted for "good cause" - typically because they expect inclement weather later in the year.

Tourism industry representatives from Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and Kings Dominion theme park said they count on families visiting in the week leading up to Labor Day. They said they also count on students for their seasonal labor.

The bill pitted Virginia Beach school officials against representatives from the city's main industry, along with some city officials.

Tourism areas in other states - Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head in South Carolina and Orlando in Florida, among others - start school before Labor Day and have found ways to make it work, said Virginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems.

"Were any of those states recognized as the best state for business?" asked Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredricksburg, referring to several national accolades Virginia has won.

Virginia Beach City Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the Oceanfront and is director of operations for a hotel management company, spoke against the proposal. And, according to a spokes woman, Gov. Bob McDonnell doesn't want to undermine the tourism industry and jeopardize any potential late-summer revenue.

Tata told tourism industry representatives that by lining up against his bill, "you're signing your own death warrant."

This bill "bent over backwards" to find a compromise, he said. If it's not passed, another bill that allows school divisions to decide for themselves when they should open every year - instead of just some years - eventually will be, he said.

"Within five years I'd say that bill would pass," Tata said.

Alicia Wittmeyer, (804) 697-1561, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com