State Lawmakers Might Change Ames School Calendar

approved in March the district's instructional calendars for the next two years so that families could plan their family and vacation time, but that could all be undone.

The Iowa House approved a measure Tuesday that would no longer allow Iowa schools to start class before the fourth Monday in August, the Des Moines Register reported. Next fall that would be the week of Aug. 27.

In Ames, board members already approved calendars in which classes would begin Aug. 23 next fall and Aug. 22 in the fall of 2013.

The bill will now go to the Senate.

“Obviously if the Senate agrees to that and then passes it the Governor will sign the the bill and we will have to come back and readjust our calender,” said Ames School District Superintendent Tim Taylor.

It would push the last day of school into the first week or two of June.

Tourism and travel groups have pushed for the late start date saying it would allow students and families to travel during the final weeks of August, the Register reported.

What legislators may not have considered is the fact that the Iowa High School Athletic Association already scheduled the districts' first football game for Aug. 17. Here in Ames that means students will be back on campus in the last weeks of July, Taylor said.

Some other districts start classes earlier than Ames so that the first semester of school and final exams are completed before winter break.

According to the Des Moines Register report, Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, has no interest in “advancing” the bill, but that may not matter.

Under current state law, school districts may not begin fall classes prior to the week containing Sept. 1 without a waiver from the Iowa Department of Education. And the Des Moines Register reported that Gov. Terry Branstad is willing to tell the Department to stop granting the waivers.

Ames' waiver to start early in the fall of 2012 has already been approved. However the district would apply for the 2013 waiver next fall.