A compromise school calendar bill, partly aimed at assisting Kentucky’s tourism industry, is picking up steam in the state senate.
The bill that earned committee approval Thursday offers flexibility for local school districts.
The original measure required most public schools across the state to begin class no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26.
The compromise establishes membership for local calendar committees to include educators, parents, and a tourism-business representative. The panel would recommend a start date for classes and send it to the school board for consideration.
Bill Sponsor Chris Girdler says schools choosing a late August start can opt for meeting a minimum total school hour requirement and not the traditional 170 day standard.
“They can go longer days but you cannot increase your day time less than 30 minutes, cause we want it to be valued instructional time,” said Girdler.
The real push for this bill comes from the tourism industry.
Reps from marinas, visitor bureaus, hotels, and restaurants attended the committee meeting. Hank Phillips is president of the Kentucky Travel Industry Association.
“It gives all the local tourism entities an opportunity to access the process locally, explain the impact locally,” explained Phillips.
Proponents say Kentucky is currently losing more than $400 million in tourism related dollars in August alone. If enacted, the law would take effect in the 2017- 2018 school year.
