Wisconsin school administrators hope they’ll soon be able to start the school year prior to Sept. 1.
A state law enacted in 2000 and pushed by the tourism industry prohibits public schools from starting earlier than September. Republican Rep. Jim Ott is circulating a bill that would remove that restriction, and school groups that have made the date change a priority say support has never been so high.
“We are hearing increasingly from our members that they want the flexibility to begin school earlier,” said Dan Rossmiller, lobbyist for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.
Schools have pushed, unsuccessfully, for years for the option of starting earlier to align with high school sports practices and free up time for advanced placement exams in the spring. But businesses that rely on tourists don’t want school years shifting back into August, one of their most profitable months.