BY CHELYEN DAVIS

RICHMOND—The House of Delegates will vote Thursday on a bill to let schools decide whether they want to begin classes before Labor Day.

But a Senate committee has already rejected an identical bill, which means the House version may face a hard time when it goes to the Senate.

For years, the state has barred schools from opening before Labor Day, in deference to theme parks and the tourism industry. Those groups want people to be free to vacation as long as possible during the peak season, and they want their high-school workers to be on the job as long as possible as well.

But by now more than half of the school divisions in the state are exempted from the rule (most of them west of Interstate 95). This year, Gov. Bob McDonnell is backing the repeal of the so-called “Kings Dominion law.” He said local officials should be able to decide when to start the school year without state oversight.
Other advocates of the bill say that in schools that don’t open until after Labor Day, students lose days of instructional time, and that loss could affect their performance in the spring Standards of Learning tests.
Del. Jim LeMunyon, R–Fairfax, said other states that rely on tourism dollars do just fine with August start dates.
“Somehow Rehobeth Beach, Nags Head, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach  can not only survive but thrive, and their schools start in August,” LeMunyon said.

He also said it is a matter of principle in a legislature where many lawmakers campaigned on limiting government intrusion into people’s lives.

Keeping the Labor Day restriction, he said, “says this General Assembly believes  that we know what’s best for a million schoolchildren and their families.”
The bill’s opponents argued that it could cost the state and tourism-reliant businesses a lot of money.
Del. John Cox, R–Hanover, whose district includes the  Kings Dominion theme park, read off a long list of business groups opposing the bill. Those groups represent real people, he said.

“Their jobs and their livelihood depend on Virginia’s tourism,” Cox said.
Del. Steve Landes, R–Augusta, argued in favor of delaying the bill and awaiting the results of a study that could determine its economic impact on tourism dollars.
The House agreed on a voice vote to advance the bill, and will vote on it Thursday.
Chelyen Davis:  804/343-2245
cdavis@freelancestar.com