Lawmakers discuss Aug. 23 compromise school start date in Iowa House

DES MOINES - Iowa schools could start no earlier than Aug. 23 under a compromise being discussed by state lawmakers.

The proposal was introduced Monday in the Iowa House and amends a previous measure that would have allowed schools to start any time after July 1.

Gov. Terry Branstad announced in December that his administration would more strictly enforce current state law, which says schools may not start earlier than the last week of August. The shift was applauded by summer tourism businesses.

School officials cried foul, citing a need for local control over their calendar. So state lawmakers introduced legislation that returned that control to the districts.

The new proposal introduced Monday was called a compromise by Rep. Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City, chairman of the House Education Committee.

'We feel the 23rd (of August), from a compromise standpoint, neither side is totally perfect with it, so maybe you've got a point where it's OK with both sides,” Jorgensen said.

In the 2013-14 school year, only 10 Iowa school districts started later than Aug. 23.

The committee was scheduled to vote on the bill Monday, but postponed that action to Wednesday after both parties spent the bulk of their allotted time meeting separately to discuss the new proposal.

'(An) Aug. 23 (start date) is in there and a couple other things that gives us a little bit of heartburn,” said Rep. Patti Ruff of Monona, the top Democrat on the committee. 'For myself, coming in this morning, I didn't even have time to look at the amendment until caucus time. So it's just a lot to digest in an hour.”

Ruff said she is concerned a bill that had bipartisan support was amended. A former school board member, Ruff said she also is concerned the new proposal strips away some local control.

Lisa Bartusek, executive director of the Iowa Association of School Boards, said in an email statement that although the Aug. 23 start date 'provides some flexibility to school districts,” the organization still 'supports a full repeal of the school start date law.”

'This is a local decision and districts need flexibility to set their own calendars,” Bartusek said.

Brian Johnson, a lobbyist for the Iowa State Fair, said the new proposal is 'not as good as current law if it was enforced” but is better than schools starting in early to mid-August.

In the next seven years, the State Fair will conclude between Aug. 18 and Aug. 23.

'I know not all the tourism people are happy with that date, but it's one that we believe we can support and hope that we can get the issue behind us,” Johnson said.

The Senate also has a school start proposal that gives schools complete control over the start date.