State School Districts Could Soon Have More Flexibility Choosing Their Fall Start Date

Thursday, March 28th, 2024 -- 11:00 AM

(Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin school districts could soon have more flexibility in choosing their fall start date. 

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, under current law, Wisconsin public schools are prohibited from starting fall classes until Sept. 1. The state Department of Public Instruction can grant school board requests for an exemption to start school early for “extraordinary reasons.”

The number of requests to start school before Sept. 1 has gone from 18 in 2020 to 101 this school year, according to DPI. Now, an administrative rule is working its way through the Legislature that would expand the types of reasons for DPI to grant an exception for school districts.

If approved, exceptions would include factors that pertain to student graduation rates, reading and mathematics proficiency, school attendance, mental health of students and staff, and recruitment and retention strategies for educators. This week, 600 people submitted testimony to the state in favor of the rule. Just over 60 people submitted testimony against.

The Tourism Federation of Wisconsin has long been against the change, saying repealing the Sept. 1 start date for public schools would lead to a loss in revenue for Wisconsin’s businesses. Several members of the tourism industry testified against the change this week.

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