MANDAN, N.D. - Measure 8 is focused on improving quality of life and providing a true summer vacation for our children and families. While the opposition brings up many points against this measure, we believe there is little that truly proves it will hurt schools, students, families or our state.
The opposition points to many activities, including school sports, summer school and seasonal jobs, that could be affected. But each of these activities is elective and should have no bearing on the school calendar. It is up to each individual as to whether they work after school begins or ends, join a school activity or take summer school.
Further, in regard to school sports seasons, spring sports have continued after the school year for years, and this has worked for both athletes and schools. I believe the same type of schedule could work with fall sports competitions beginning before the school year.
If school were to start later, it might even benefit teams because they could practice in the cool mornings instead of in the heat of late August afternoons.
The opposition also points to a later school start date causing a decline in participation in school-sanctioned sports. But Minnesota’s participation remains as high as North Dakota’s in fall sports such as football and soccer.
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Minnesota has successfully started school after Labor Day for many years, and the state continues to have strong schools and test scores. The state also is able to get all required instructional days in between early September and early June.
I believe once this change is made in North Dakota, school boards and administrators will figure out how to do the same.
Many parents are becoming increasingly frustrated with school starting earlier each year, as kids head back to the classroom in the heat of summer, and ending earlier in May, when cool weather is still conducive to being in the classroom. In August 2013, many schools across the state were closed due to excessive heat, when temperatures inside the classroom were deemed unsafe for students and teachers.
How often do these extremes happen in late May or early June before school dismisses?
Our state’s schools have very good heating systems, but relatively few schools have adequate cooling systems that provide a comfortable and safe environment for learning during the hot temperatures of late summers. Pushing the end date for school back a few days would have little impact on the learning environment of students in comparison to starting school earlier in August.
If you look at the current school calendar, there are many staff development days and extra vacation days. About five to seven days could be taken out of the calendar so the school year fits between Labor Day and Memorial Day. There also still can be local control as administrators and school boards work out how staff development days could fit better before the start of school or vacation days could be changed.
Measure 8 only mandates that school starts after Labor Day.
Providing a consistent start date for the school year will alleviate some of the problems caused by excessive heat at the end of the summer and provide consistency for parents and families in planning summer activities and vacations. I believe this measure is truly the ultimate parent survey, and many parents will choose more time with their families in the summer rather than see their kids back in the classroom in August.
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Passing Measure 8 comes down to a quality of life issue for students and families. A day at the end of August is far nicer than a day at the end of May, and starting school after Labor Day allows families to enjoy the last few weeks of North Dakota’s precious summers vacationing or enjoying the ideal summer weather together.
Let’s make a change and let summer vacation actually take place in the heart of North Dakota’s summer.
I applaud the many parents who have worked tirelessly to get this measure on the November ballot, and I encourage Herald readers to join us in voting “yes” on Measure 8.
Heinert is co-chairman of Start ND School After Labor Day and of the sponsoring committee that initiated Measure 8.
