A significant number of local parents have been inquiring about a possible change in the date for schools to start because some districts have reported they will start before Labor Day.

Local school officials reassure residents that Wayland, Hopkins and Martin schools this year will start the day after Labor Day, as usual. The Michigan Legislature years ago passed a law mandating the September start in an effort to promote tourism by families and provide more revenue for business.

However, in the last couple of years, some school districts have sought and won waivers for opening dates with “balanced calendars.”

To clear the air, Wayland Schools Supt. Norman Taylor sent a report to staff on the issue:

“Our ISD/Allegan Area ESA (AAESA) has formed a committee, of which I am a member, to explore the possibility of our entire county moving to a balanced calendar. We have met three times, collecting and reviewing data and research, and have another meeting in a couple weeks. It has also been a topic of several county-wide/AAESA superintendent meetings in recent months, which includes special ed and the Tech Center leaders, as any county initiative regarding a calendar change would best serve everyone if we all have that common county calendar.

“A number of school districts and ISDs are exploring either pre-Labor Day starts or possibly balanced calendars. Van Buren and Kent county ISDs have been granted pre-Labor Day start waivers by the Michigan Department of Education to allow their respective schools to begin the school year before Labor Day. “

Taylor noted Middleville Thornapple Kellogg just announced a start date of Aug. 21 this coming school year, as are a number of other schools in Kent County (or Aug. 28). Van Buren County schools started before Labor Day this past August. Ottawa ISD also is looking at potentially modifying school calendars.

“The rationale behind these potential changes to school district calendars has to do with what’s known as ‘summer learning slide’ when many students regress in their learning at the end of a long 11- to 12-week summer and teachers need to re-teach before moving forward,” the superintendent added. “Districts with balanced calendars (still 180 school days) report that with only seven to eight week summer breaks and more frequent breaks during the school year, academic achievement, plus student and staff attendance patterns, all improve.

“A pre-Labor Day start also coincides with many schools now providing Early or Middle College opportunities or for dual enrollment students, where the colleges start before Labor Day.

“Bottom line, we want to do what is best for the academic success of all our students.”

Taylor insisted that Wayland Union Schools have no plans to move to any modified calendar for the 2017-2018 school year and next year’s calendar has already been set similar to this year’s school calendar.

“Our ISD is still in the exploratory stage of any calendar modifications and Allegan Area ESA would need to first apply for a waiver from the MDE prior to even considering any pre-Labor Day start or balanced calendar (AAESA did apply several years a go to MDE for a waiver to start before Labor day and that request was denied at that time),” Taylor said.

An informational session about balanced calendars was presented Jan. 31 to all Allegan County schools’ Board of Education trustees and some representatives from surrounding counties by the Holt and Davidson school districts, both of which are using balanced calendars.

“Discussions are continuing at the superintendent level in Allegan County,” the superintendent said. “Should this process continue moving forward, you will see information about any possible calendar changes publicized, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will be published and made available, and a county-wide survey would likely be conducted to parents and staff.”