To amend sections 2151.011, 3306.01, 3313.48, 3313.533, 3313.62, 3314.03, 3317.01, 3321.05, and 3326.11; to enact new section 3313.481 and section 3313.621; and to repeal sections 3313.481 and 3313.482 of the Revised Code to establish a minimum school year for school districts, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools based on hours, rather than days, of instruction and to prohibit public schools from being open for instruction prior to Labor Day or after Memorial Day except in specified circumstances.
The Ohio state legislature is wanting to change a few things about the school schedules. If there is one thing that legislators at the state and federal level can do, it's complicate things.
When I was a kid, we didn't start school until the Tuesday following Labor Day. We were never out before the first week of June. One year it was June 30th. There was no such thing as calamity days. If we missed a day because of snow, a day was added at the end of the school year. We had the standard holidays off including the first day of buck season. Teacher in-service days, or whatever they're calling them now, were nonexistent.
As it stands, schools are credited as having been in session for a day if the day is not shortened by more than two hours. They are wanting to change this to be figured on an hourly basis rather than a daily basis. I sort of like this idea. So rather than schools having to be in session for 182 days, they have to meet an hourly requirement of 1,050 hours for grades 7 through 12, and 960 hours for grade school. I think this gives the local school districts more latitude with scheduling. If they had time to make up, they could opt to lengthen the school day for a certain number of day, for example. A school district might choose a longer school day for four days/week rather than shorter days five days/week. A lot of options could open up with this part of the proposed bill.
On the other hand, they are also wanting to limit the school year to between Labor Day and Memorial Day. I have no idea what they are thinking on this part. This takes options away from the schools. I could sort of understand if they used one or the other. If you start before Labor Day, you must be out before Memorial Day but if you start after Labor Day, you can finish the school year after Memorial Day. Something to that effect. But why even bother with that? Let the schools set their individual schedules according to their needs. What's wrong with starting in mid-August, having three weeks off for Christmas break and ending the first week of June? But then I'd like to see year round school schedules become more of the norm.
Wouldn't it be easier if the state just said: You have to provide 1,050 hours of instruction time for the students. You have between July 1 and June 30 to work it out as your district sees fit. One part of this bill seems to counteract the other part of this bill. In one section, the state says you can have more flexibility with scheduling your school year, and another section takes it back away. Sheeeeeesh.
This bill hasn't really gone anywhere yet. It's still in committee. But I did send an email to Rep. Andrew Thompson, 93rd. Even though Mr. Thompson is not my representative, his name is on the bill. I've also met Mr. Thompson and have seen him several times at various events where he has addressed the public and answered questions or otherwise made himself available to his constituents. One of the good guys from my perspective. Anyway, he did email me back and said he'd take my points back to the sponsors of the bill. For the record, I believe he will do what he says.
The bottom line is, the local school districts should be able to set their own schedule based on the needs of their students. Any legislation at the state level should be only to assist local school districts rather than restrict them and otherwise make educating our kids more difficult.
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