Wisconsin DPI proposes giving schools more options to start year early

Ethan and Lucas Kimble are on spring break, but with summer break right around the corner their dad, Lane, believes "it's important to not end summer too early."

But the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction wants to leave that up to schools.

"It's clear that these school districts and communities want this," DPI Communication Officer Chris Bucher said.

Right now, if a school board wants to start before September 1st, the Department of Public Instruction has to grant an exemption.

According to Bucher, in the current school year 2023-2024 they received 101 requests -- up from 61 in the 2022-2023 school year, 28 the year before, and 18 requests in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Currently the DPI can only grant exemptions for "extraordinary reasons:" major construction projects, a force of nature that causes a school to close, excessive costs to transport private school students, and high participation in an international baccalaureate program.

But they want to make those reasons a bit less extraordinary. "Things like student graduation rates, reading and math proficiency, school attendance," Bucher said.

"There is research that shows, you know, just having the just having students do those different instructional practices, and starting earlier will help them perform better," he said. "Another big thing is that this would allow school districts to train teachers and get them up to speed on those professional development opportunities and get them up to speed for help implementing Act 20."

Wisconsin 2023 Act 20 states that all Wisconsin schools are required to provide science-based early literacy instruction in both universal and intervention settings. The curriculum will be implemented next school year.

Some parents like Kimble don't see how it would help, if the kids are going to have a long Labor Day weekend anyway.

"To me, the proficiency argument there is null and void because you've already erased those first three or four days, why not just start fresh right away that Tuesday after?" he said. 

News 3 Now reached out to other parents about changing the start date.

One mother who couldn't speak on camera said a shorter summer would help her child with special needs.

Kimble said he does like the idea of giving districts more control. "I think what Oregon does really well here is they put out a survey every year asking parents, 'Hey, what do you think about our upcoming calendar?'"

But leaders in Wisconsin's tourism industry believe it would have a "pretty devastating impact."

"I talked to a lot of operators that still aren't as profitable as they were before 2019 that are still suffering from the results of the pandemic," Bill Elliott said.

Elliott is the President and CEO of the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association. He said August is their industry's busiest month.

"The impact would would really be felt in our workforce. Many lodging facilities and tourism businesses in general employ high school students and college age students, you know, that would be leaving earlier and and make it much harder for us to staff our properties," Elliott said.

And for families like the Kimbles, it's important to spend more time with the kids after a summer of camps.

"Every parent's like, ok when is summer vacation going to end, right?" he said. "I think again, there's that importance of let's have that last family get away, that last vacation, finish out the summer strong."

According to Bucher, DPI received overwhelming public support for allowing the flexibility.

After reviewing that feedback, they will revise the rule and send it to the Governor for one last check, before the legislature reviews it. If it passes through all steps smoothly, he said it could be implemented as soon as next school year.

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