Start Date Bill in Alabama

      It seems that each year Alabama's legislature debates on the state and end dates of a school year. The Alabama tourism department has much to do with the development of this issue. They claim that the state loses over 300 million dollars a year by starting school so early in august, and they wish for that the change. The idea to be presented at this year's legislative session is the start of school after Labor Day. This would extend tourism season as well as create time for longer summer camps for children. However, children would still have to attend school a certain number of days throughout the school year therefore shortening another holiday vacation. Yet, other states such as Michigan and North Carolina have chosen to mandate the school start date to be after Labor Day. It is a great debate as to whether this should be implemented here. However, changing the start date will not only affect the state as a whole and the tourism season, it will affect others on a personal level. Jefferson Co Schools superintendent feels that the decision of the school start date should be determined on a local level due to many different concerns and unique needs. But other oppose saying that pushing the start date further into the year will allow less time with intense heat such as the AFT union president. Some schools in the state are still not fortunate enough to have air conditioned gyms, classrooms, and buses therefore every school district needs to be considered in this presentation. No one is certain were this bill will go because it has been brought upon the legislature once before. In April 2008 the house and the senate voted to prohibit classes in June, July, and early August but it never made it to the legislature. As a student, I would love to have a longer summer. Yet, as a future teacher, I would be concerned that the students would have a hard time transitioning from year to year with such a vacation span. It is definitely a topic that I feel needs much consideration before making a decision. It is one that could have both positive and negative effects on every school system.

Resource:
White, Linda. "The Local Debate on Mandating Alabama's School Start Date" http://www2.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/the_local_debate_on_mandating_alabamas_school_start_date/93916/