Schools
PG County Wants to Start School Early, But Maryland Rejects It
PG County officials want to start school Aug. 22 to help students and teachers, but Gov. Hogan thinks school should start after Labor Day.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County Public Schools wanted to start classes before Labor Day, but the state of Maryland has slapped down the proposal.
The move to start school on Aug. 22 flies in the face of an executive order by Gov. Larry Hogan that blocks schools from opening before Labor Day. The state board of education voted down the plan recently, according to a WTOP report.
As a result, school will start Sept. 6 and finish June 13 in the county.
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Hogan issued the executive order last August in order to allow families more time for summer vacations and to boost state tourism. He made the announcement on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Md.
School boards and teachers unions have opposed the measure, however, arguing that summers that are too long negatively affect children's retention of their education, and it also compresses the school year to a point that teachers have difficulty scheduling work days.
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