In order to start classes in mid-August, local school boards will have to hold public meetings and take formal votes under legislation Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder signed into law on June 18. Kinder signed the bill, which kicks in beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, as acting governor while Gov. Matt Blunt was in France.
SB 64 requires the school year to begin no earlier than 10 days prior to Labor Day. Districts may begin classes earlier, however, by formally voting to do so after holding a public hearing. According to The Associated Press, more than 90 percent of Missouri’s 524 school district started classes for the 2006-2007 school year earlier than 10 days before Labor Day.
SB 64 requires the school year to begin no earlier than 10 days prior to Labor Day. Districts may begin classes earlier, however, by formally voting to do so after holding a public hearing. According to The Associated Press, more than 90 percent of Missouri’s 524 school district started classes for the 2006-2007 school year earlier than 10 days before Labor Day.
3 comments:
I don't understand why state legislators, etc. want to tell local schools what to do. This bill just makes it necessary to keep schools open until later in June. Schools must still be open the same amount of days.
I don't understand why people want school to start in the middle of the hottest month of the year and end in May when it is still cold and rainy. The school summer break is supposed to be just that, held during the summer. The official start date of summer is June 21, nearly a month after most schools have let the children out. Why, pray tell, do you WANT children to have to try and concentrate on learning during a time when the extreme heat causes frustration in most of our adult citizens? I have watched the start of the school year be moved earlier and earlier into the summer months and I honestly cannot think of a good reason to do so. Please share with me what you think are the drawbacks of having school in session during the month of May and possibly early June and what are the advantages of starting school in mid August?
Signed A mother of three children ages 19, 16 and 6
Overall I try not to vote for bills that override a local school boards ability to decide on their own how they run their schools. They are an elected body and if they are making poor decisions they can be replaced at the next election. I do believe that sometimes elected officials (including the general assembly) need laws in place to insure that their votes are being done in a way that allows for public discussion. For this reason I have no problem with the provision of the bill that allows school boards to have a formal vote after a public hearing on the issue.
With that said the bill contained several other provisions that I had concerns about, primarily the virtual school provision of the bill. I believe that the virtual school program could be a good program. We passed the legislation that authorized virtual schools during the 2006 session. It was passed with the explanation that it would be starting off very slowly to make sure it could deliver on its promises. In 2007 I saw some things that concerned me. I feel the program is expanding too rapidly before we have time to see just how successful of a program it is.
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