Wis. tourism group: Keep school date law

Wis. tourism group: Keep school date law

	Published : Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:14 By : Agencies Print this Story

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Summer break for school children could end earlier under a proposal the state's tourism industry is lining up to fight.

Innkeepers, restaurant owners and tourism officials lobbied hard to enact a law that took effect in 2000 barring schools from opening any earlier than Sept. 1. The requirement gave families more time in the prime summer months to vacation and spend money. It also allowed high school students to work longer at large tourist destinations, like the Wisconsin Dells.

But freshman Republican Jim Ott of Mequon doesn't think the law makes sense.

There's already a sign that Ott's bill, despite garnering nine co-sponsors, likely will go nowhere fast in the Legislature. The first attempt at repealing the law, it was referred to an Assembly committee that handles tourism issues, and not one on school reform as Ott had wanted.

If Ott wants a hearing on the bill, he will get one, said Tourism Committee Chairman Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah. But Kaufert said he didn't expect the idea to get much support.

'I don't hear an outcry from people,' he said. 'I thought this was pretty much behind us.'

Ott said school superintendents he's talked with are angered by having the state determine when they can open. They want more time in the fall to prepare students for state-mandated tests given in October and November, Ott said.

And while Veilleux said he hasn't seen any evidence that the Sept. 1 start date has hurt teacher or student performance, he said it would be nice to have more time in the fall before the state tests and the start of fall sports. The key issue, he said, is letting schools decide for themselves when the best time is to open.

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards agrees.

'On its most basic level, school districts are in the best position to know what works best for their community and to have a one-size fits all start date for a state like Wisconsin is unreasonable and has always been unreasonable,' said John Ashley, the group's executive director.

Under current law schools can open earlier than Sept. 1 only if they show 'extraordinary reasons' and receive a waiver from the state Department of Public Instruction.

But that is extremely rare. This year only four schools applied and only one waiver was granted. It went to Veilleux's New Richmond district, which argued it needed to change its opening date to work around a $92 million building project.

Trisha Pugal, president of the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association, said she has seen no negative impact on schools by requiring them to open after Sept. 1.

'I think you would find that parents, families and possibly even teachers prefer to have a later start date,' said Pugal, whose group represents about 1,100 hotels, resorts and bed and breakfasts across the state.

It's better for students to be in class later in June when it's not as hot as late August, said Chet Gerlach, president of the Wisconsin Tourism Federation.

'It never, never made sense to me why starting school early was a good educational tool,' Gerlach said.

Not to mention that families prefer vacationing in July and August and not June, he said.

Neither the Tourism Federation or the Innkeepers Association had data showing the impact of the law change on their industries. But anecdotally, both Gerlach and Pugal said, business is better when school doesn't start until September.

According to the state Department of Tourism, money spent on traveling in Wisconsin, also counting those from out of state, has gradually increased from $11.05 billion in 2000 to $12.83 billion in 2006.