Rep. Peter Cownie Reports: When Schools Start Before Labor Day, Iowa Tourism Industry Loses

By Rep. Peter Cownie
House File 2044 is referred to as the “School Start Date” bill in the Iowa Legislature. The bill eliminates the Department of Education’s ability to grant a waiver for a school district to start school before Labor Day.

For example, the Waukee School District was granted a waiver this past month to start school on Aug. 15 for the 2012-13 school year. Traditionally, school has started later than this in Iowa.

Should the Department of Education be allowed to grant exemptions to law requiring that school start after Labor Day? Tell us in comments.

There is quite a bit of background to this issue. One of the initial red flags is there has never been a waiver that has not been granted by the Department of Education. This makes me question why have a waiver process in the Iowa Code if it is merely a rubber stamp?

Several groups advocate for this change. First, the tourism industry is a strong supporter. Tourism groups advocate for change, namely within our lake communities and for other Iowa attractions.

It was reported at our subcommittee meeting on House File 2044 that Dickinson County, where Lake Okoboji is, loses $1 million a day for every day school starts before Labor Day. The Iowa State Fair also advocates for change. If school starts earlier every year in Iowa there are fewer kids able to experience some of Iowa’s finest traditions and less revenue to support Iowa’s attractions that count on seasonal support.

I believe our local school districts should have the ability to make their own decisions on what is best for their schools. However, this law needs to be examined again. Based purely on the fact the waiver has never been denied, I think change is needed. Do we get rid of the entire waiver? Perhaps. Or do we put some teeth into the law where a school district has to justify the waiver for substantive reasons?

The school start date issue brings forth a bigger question that all Iowans should be aware of – the issue of having a longer school year.

This is a controversial and emotional issue for Iowa families. Study after study finds that a longer school year would make our kids more competitive in a global economy. There is certainly a large cost to this. Frankly, the issue has not even been seriously discussed at the Legislature in my time.

Until it is, a change for school start dates should be made to maintain the traditions of an Iowa summer while also allowing for our local communities to maintain critical economic development.