Battle for Local Control Begins
Bills to repeal the start date and the DE guidance on start date waivers
were released this week. IASB is supporting HF 13 and SSB 1058 which
would strike all language referencing a school start date and leave that
to the decision of individual school boards. HF 13 was approved by a
subcommittee this week and will be considered by the full House
Education Committee in the near future. Representatives of the tourism
industry continued to press the case that early starts have a negative
impact on state revenues and that there is no proven connection to
student achievement. The subcommittee heard from several
superintendents as well as a coalition of public and non-public school
groups.
It is vital that you continue to communicate with your legislators about
the importance of maintaining local decision-making about a school's
calendar.
The Iowa Department of Education released the Guidance on Start Date
Waivers. It's safe to say, no district will ever be able to meet the
standards in the guidance. Your advocacy is needed to ensure local
control over your calendar is retained and written with the best
interests of students in mind.
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