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Meeting Public Comments

Subcommittee meeting and times are as follows:
HSB 31
A bill for an act modifying the earliest possible start date of the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
Subcommittee members: Ingels-CH, Ehlert, Moore, T.
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: House Lounge
Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.
Comments Submitted:

01-21-2025
Bridget Johnson [The Oakwood Inn Okoboji]
The tourism and recreational industries in Iowa benefit significantly from the summer months when schools are out. Starting school earlier may reduce the time families spend on vacations or at summer camps, potentially harming local businesses that rely on this seasonal influx of tourism. In the Okoboji area, small locally owned businesses depend on the short summer tourist season to get though the rest of the year. August is typically a popular month for tourism in many regions, as it marks the end of summer and families often take vacations before the school year begins. Any departure from the already established school start date will have disastrous consequences for the Iowa Great Lakes Area and the small businesses that make up more than 80% of the tourism service industry of the area.
01-22-2025
Margaret Buckton [Urban Education Network and Rural School Advocates of Iowa]
School districts struggle to align calendars with expectations of dual enrollment/community college calendars, and often strive to get graduation completed by Memorial Day, even harder with snow makeup days. School Boards are in the best position to balance the needs of students, taxpayers and the tourism industry impacts of calendar decisions in their own districts. All calendar decisions require a public hearing per IC 279.10, so local business and concerned citizens can express their needs before the school board's decision. This bill is especially needed this year with Aug. 23 falling on a Saturday. UEN and RSAI support and encourage the subcommittee members to move the bill forward.