Maryland Governor Hints at Later School Start Date

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Is Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan about to demand that schools wait until after Labor Day to begin classes? That’s the speculation by politicians and media statewide as Hogan’s office promotes a “major announcement regarding the starting date of public school systems in Maryland,” in a news release.

Hogan will be joined by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot — a long-time booster of waiting until after the holiday to go back to school — at a Wednesday afternoon press conference in Ocean City. Tourist-driven businesses like those on the Eastern Shore have pushed for the change as a way to extend their summer season and revenue.

Last week Patch asked readers when they want to see students back in the classroom, and the commenters overwhelmingly prefer a post-Labor Day school start date.

"After Labor Day, but without extending the school year until July," wrote a reader on the Perry Hall Patch Facebook page.

But readers want fewer off days in school calendars so that students are out by Memorial Day or early June at the latest.

Hogan has the authority to issue executive orders and lobby for legislation in the General Assembly. Repeated proposals over the years to mandate that school start after Labor Day have failed in Annapolis, killed by local school systems who want to set their own starting date, says The Baltimore Sun.

Harford, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Baltimore county school systems all began classes last week, while Montgomery and Howard county schools resumed studies this week. But the heat and humidity prompted cancellations in Baltimore County, where not every school has air conditioning.

Here are a few other comments from Patch readers:

• "I agree it should be after, but you all realize you can't actually shorten the amount of days the kids go to school. As it stands, American children go to school an 'average' amount relative to the rest of the world."
• "After Labor Day. That is how it was growing up. They have too many professional days off. Take some of those away and the kids will still be able to get out early June."
• "If the purpose of the early start is to budget more snow days, then it seems sensible. I cannot help but have noticed that if the snow day budget is more than used up, parents routinely expect a waiver on the rule requiring schools to be open 180 days (or whatever it is). Vacation wins out over education on a regular basis. If opening early helps eliminate that issue, I'm all for it."

In a YouTube video filmed on Ocean City's boardwalk, the city's mayor, Rick Meehan, and Franchot talked to bystanders. They said they could find nobody who supported starting school before Labor Day.