It’s a hot topic throughout the Commonwealth — a new push to start the School Year after Labor Day. Here’s why this is being pushed and what could keep it from happening.
Is Summer being cut short? Adam Aurand, Spokesperson for the School District of Lancaster saying: “The trend has been among a lot of school districts over the last 5-10 years to move that start date up a little bit”
Rep. Dan Moul of Adams County saying: “A couple days earlier every year you know what you’re doing is it doing our kids any justice?” It’s a thought that popped into Representative Dan Moul’s mind – while picking his Granddaughter up from the bus stop on a hot Summer day. Moul adding: “School is important nobody is going to say it’s not, but I think it’s every bit as important to let the younger kids have their full summer break and let the older kids understand what it’s like to earn your way through life”
Citing the benefits for older Students at Summer jobs, Moul saying: “They’re learning when they’re earning.” He’s pushing to amend the “Public School Code of 1949”. Moul adding: “Kids learn more about responsibility and budgeting and the value of a dollar out working then they will ever learn in a classroom”
The Bill – formerly backed by the late State Representative Bob Godshall – would require Pennsylvania’s School Districts to begin their School Year after Labor Day, provided there are no extenuating circumstances, like a natural disaster.
Rep. Moul saying: “When the kids go back to school we have less and less people come to tour our facilities that means all the restaurants hurt all the amusement types of places hurt everybody hurts when you take those kids away and people don’t travel”
Adam Aurand sayin: “But there’s value in that because it does give teachers and students an extra week of instructional time prior to the PSSAs in April” Schools argue they want to prepare Students for State Exams. Aurand adding: “We’ve started as early as we ever have and that’s because traditionally we start On the fourth Monday in August and it has just so happened that that has been two weeks prior to Labor Day the last two years.”
Representative Moul is concerned the earlier Schools start to gain momentum the bigger loss is felt by the Commonwealth’s Hospitality Industry. Moul adding: “How many tens of millions of dollars in revenue does the state lose because people are saying well there’s no point in going on vacation because in the middle of August or later because the kids are back at school?”
