Last December, Governor Branstad’s administration told superintendents they would no longer get waivers to start school early, meaning schools would have to start fall classes during the week of September 1. The Governor’s decision to end local control of school start dates immediately created a big problem for schools and parents.
Last fall, 67 Iowa school districts started fall semester classes during the second week of August.
Senate File 227 is a compromise that sets the school start date on or after August 23. It was approved this week by both the House and the Senate.
This legislative compromise ends a major distraction, which has taken attention away from this session’s most important, most pressing education issue: Renewing Iowa’s bipartisan commitment to responsibly investing in our local students and schools.
School funding affects 100 percent of Iowa schoolchildren, parents and teachers, as well as employers and community leaders. We must provide the funding our schools need to boost student achievement and keep the best teachers in our classrooms.