Senator Ann Lynch on Education

02/24/2007

School start date bill passes Senate Education Committee


(Rochester, MN) -- The Senate Education Committee approved a bill today sponsored by State Senator Ann Lynch (DFL-Rochester) that will repeal the law mandating schools to start after Labor Day. The bill now moves to the Finance Committee.

“I’m pleased to receive the committee’s unanimous support,” Sen. Lynch said. “With the passage of this bill, school start dates won’t be mandated by the state and school districts will be able to choose what’s best for their area. This bill is good public policy and focuses on student achievement.”

The intent of the school start legislation is to give local school districts the authority to determine their school calendar based on the needs and desires of their community and students. The Rochester Superintendent Jerry Williams, the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) all testified in support of the bill noting that they support local control of school start dates.

Anyone with comments or questions about the bill can contact Sen. Lynch at G-24 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or 651-296-4848.