Branson rep wants school year to start later, says he does not put tourism ahead of education, but they're right at the same level

(From Rep. Jeff Justus, R-Branson)

We have work to do!

How early can schools open in the summer for the new school year?

Current statutes state, that schools cannot open any earlier that 10 calendar days before the first Monday in September.

Depending on what date the first Monday of September falls on, schools could open from August 21 through August 28. You may look at the school calendars and wonder why some schools start earlier than that. How? Here is how, “a district may set an opening date that is more than ten calendar days prior to the first Monday in September only if the local school board first gives public notice of a public meeting to discuss the proposal of opening school on a date more than ten days prior to the first Monday in September, and the local school board holds said meeting and, at the same public
meeting, a majority of the board votes to allow an earlier opening date.” Missouri Statute 171.031 Section 3.







Schools keep opening earlier and earlier.

Many in the Tourism industry, (2nd to agriculture, the largest industry in Missouri,) think that early opening of schools impact tourism negatively. At one time the second to third week in August was one of the busiest weeks in the summer. Families visiting their favorite vacation spots. Now it is not!

Tourism has grown since the days of Memorial Day through Labor Day, then roll up the sidewalks, in large part because of the work and effort of many people in the private industry and the more aggressive work of our State in promoting tourism. (But 10 million dollars was cut from the tourism budget last year, from a budget of about 21 million and that is starting to show signs of hurt.)

Just imagine if a day or two before Black Friday and for the next two weeks a major storm kept Missouri shoppers from shopping? Would that impact holiday shopping? Yes, you could shop on the internet, or wait until the roads were clear. Some might be able to, but I could not take a virtual
vacation on the internet, nor can we gain those two weeks back in travel from August.

Early school opening has a negative impact on our tourism industry. This is a negative impact on business and on state revenue. Is it huge? To many seasonal businesses it is big! 

Yes, there are good reasons for earlier start dates.

Testing, semester done before Christmas break, coordinating with college programs, many good reasons, but let’s put our best educators and industry leaders to work and find a compromise.

I do not put business and profits ahead of education, but I at least put it at par with education. 

Our State needs business to grow and be profitable so tax revenue will fund the things that are important to us, like education. 

Now after this where am I going? To HB 161. It is a compromise. It changes the start dates for Missouri public K-12 schools to be no earlier than 14 calendar days before the first Monday in September starting in the school year 2020-21. That is it. We Perfected HB 161, debate and amendment time, then Third Read HB 161, passed and sent to the Senate. 

Now why my first line, “We have work to do!” It passed 86 to 64. Some of the 64 voted for the school associations’ stance on the bill. I feel I am talking to the choir here, and most understand what tourism does for our State in the way of businesses, jobs, income and tax revenue. 

Many thought we were asking for privileged treatment for tourism. The debate was disheartening. We have work to do. All over Missouri, we have a story to tell and it is a good one. We need to tell it!