When you stretch out a school year from early August to May, with teachers returning to set up their classrooms in early July, you have the perfect recipe for burnout. Tourism industry groups have lobbied for several years to move the start of school to September, saying they lose millions of dollars in revenue as well as endure the early departure of thousands of young, part-time workers who must return to school. The comptroller also said that school districts are losing millions of dollars a year in state aid because children of migrant farm workers come back weeks after the school year begins. School districts would be free to start classes as late as they want after the week of Aug. 21. That would include starting dates in September.
Campuses operating as year-round schools are exempt from the legislation.
Last week, when it was clear the measure was headed for passage, local school districts said they had several possibilities for coping with the switch. Two area districts, Plano and Allen, began school Aug. 3 last year. Plano school officials said they probably would eliminate their weeklong fall break and push fall semester exams until after Christmas. In Frisco, officials said they also could push the fall semester past Christmas. Steve Knagg, who heads the committee that determines the Garland school district's annual calendar, said the district might have to eliminate several fall holidays.