School Board begins discussion of school starting date waivers

On Monday, during a special meeting of the Decorah Community School Board held primarily for the approval of new employment contracts, the Board held a brief discussion regarding the recent mandate by Governor Branstad for the Iowa Department of Education to aggressively enforce a 1983 law that calls for Iowa public schools to begin the school year no earlier than the day after Labor Day.

Superintendent Mike Haluska told the Board that the Department of Education is expected to issue "guidance" this week regarding how school districts can apply for waivers if they can prove the late start date would result in educational hardship. Haluska said the district will wait until the guidance is issued, but said the district has solid data related to the positive impact of an early calendar on AP (Advanced Placement), and ACT scores. Districts have multiple other reasons to support early start dates. They also are concerned about issues of local control.

Governor Branstad's rationale appears to center around school dates conflicting with the State Fair, and the issue of high school students bolstering the Iowa economy by working in the tourism industry until Labor Day.  School boards across the state do not seem to agree since 339 of 341 districts applied for a waiver last year. And the whole issue of waivers could be moot, since there are signs of bipartisan support in the Iowa Legislature for action that could void the 1983 law.