Idaho bill would have created statewide school start date. What happened to it?
Lawmakers on Thursday decided not to advance a bill that would have implemented a uniform start date for school districts across Idaho.
The bill would have required that schools begin the Tuesday after Labor Day, a move with a significant impact for districts that said they create their own calendars based on the community’s needs.
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, who sponsored the bill, said he was frustrated that schools have been starting earlier and earlier in August. The Legislature has a specific start date, as do other organizations and events, he said.
“I would like to have it that … parents can depend on when school is going to start,” he said, adding that he wasn’t trying to control other aspects of a district’s schedule, but rather provide reliability and continuity. “I’ve just giving them a start date, just like the Legislature.”
Tourism is a big industry for Idaho and it typically ends after Labor Day, he said, adding that August is “one of the nicest months for vacations.” He also raised some questions about the longer breaks schools build around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but ultimately said those decisions were up to the districts.
The first day of school in the Boise School District this year was Aug. 12, and students had the week of Thanksgiving off and two weeks off around Christmas. The West Ada School District started on Aug. 13 and had similar breaks.
“I just think it’s better to keep them in the classroom and keep that continuity all the way through, and not take as much time off in between,” Vander Woude said. “But that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m just giving a start date.”
Superintendents speak out against bill
Several superintendents spoke out against the bill, with some saying their districts typically have a harvest break in the fall. If the school start date was moved back to after Labor Day, kids would be in school for just a few weeks before the break. For some, it would also mean the school year would continue through June.
Others argued that school districts have long determined the calendars that work best for them by balancing local and educational needs.
“One of Idaho’s greatest strengths is the unique character of its communities. What works well in one region may not work well in another,” said Misty Swanson, the executive director of the Idaho School Boards Association.
She argued against a “one-size-fits-all mandate” that doesn’t reflect geographic or economic realities.
Pam Eaton, the president of the Idaho Lodging & Restaurant Association, testified in support of the bill. She said the tourism industry depends on teenagers over the summer. The earlier school start dates have resulted in shortages when students go back to school while tourists are still traveling, according to Eaton.
Lawmakers mixed on proposal
Lawmakers had mixed opinions on the proposal. Some supported advancing the bill so more people would have the opportunity to weigh in.
Others supported the change, saying they’d heard frustrations from parents about the start date being moved earlier. But some disagreed, arguing the decision should be left to local school boards and individual communities.
“I feel like this is one of those conversations that’s a little bit bigger than a single bill,” said Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise. “And I’d really like to see all of these people kind of get in a room, metaphorically speaking, and try to get to some sort of compromise about how to handle the complexity of all of this.”
Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, said state lawmakers are elected by their local communities and are “closest to the people.”
“The issue of local control, I agree that it’s an abused issue often,” he said. “With our founders intentions, local control is this body, the elected officials that are sent to represent individuals in a republic.”
After nearly an hour of debate and testimony, lawmakers voted to hold the bill in committee.
