Although summer does not officially end until later this month, for all practical purposes, you can stick a fork in it, because it’s done. And with the end of summer, that means school is back in session.
As amazing as it seems, Texas is only one of 10 states that have laws regarding the beginning of the school year. Tradition seems to be the guiding factor in most states. Over the past decade or so, many Texas school districts have been opening their doors even before the summer reached its zenith. A mid-August start had become commonplace.
Recently, the 80th Texas Legislature put an end to that practice by changing the education code whereby no public school in the state could begin before the fourth Monday in August. Although some exceptions could be granted as to the first day of classes, the normal 180-day school year for 2007-2008 started one to two weeks later than in the recent past. And that’s a good thing, particularly for the Texas economy.
Perhaps a little background might be helpful. During a special session of the Legislature in 1984, Texas lawmakers passed a bill that required all schools to open after September 1. An amendment in 1989 allowed schools to start classes any day of the week in which September 1 fell. Those measures were repealed in another special session in 1990.
In the 1990s, myriad government reports focused on various factors that could impact student achievement. The desire to improve performance, especially on high-stakes achievement tests, caused many districts to consider alternatives to enhance learning. Gradually, even though there was no credible research to support the idea that starting the school year earlier produced higher scores, the first day of school crept backward until the middle of August essentially became the norm.
A report from the Texas Comptroller’s office in 2000 indicated that the early school starting dates were shortening the summer tourist season (thereby reducing spending across the state) and causing many school districts to expend more for air conditioning. The report also noted that mid-August school starts were forcing migrant workers to lose millions of dollars in potential earnings and even causing migrant children to lose important days of instruction.
As a result, state lawmakers soon changed the education code and mandated that schools could not open their doors to students before the week in which August 21 fell. In many cases, that measure still allowed school districts to begin classes some two weeks before Labor Day.
It is now recognized that, for most school districts, a later starting date offers opportunities for lower energy expenditures without the high cooling costs of August. By beginning the school year after Labor Day, Texas taxpayers can save an estimated $85 million in school district costs.
In addition, the mid-August starting dates have probably cost Texas more than $392 million each year because it shortened the amount of time available for summer travel. Ironically, the taxes on such travel could have been used for funding public schools.
Of course, the recent Legislature’s actions still present challenges to school districts related to semester lengths, holidays, extra-curricular activities, etc. None of these are insurmountable, however, and in most cases require only minor adjustments. The benefits to the Texas economy and to the state’s overall education endeavors certainly make it worth the effort.