Region schools: Sooner is better
Most Hampton Roads divisions opt for a pre-Labor Day start
For years, it wasn’t even legal in Virginia to begin the school year before Labor Day. Now, most of the school divisions in a region that depends on tourism are opting for an early start.
When the state measure sometimes known as the “King’s Dominion Law” — which required public school divisions to begin classes after the holiday unless they had a waiver — was repealed in 2019, most divisions didn’t leap immediately to change their calendars.
Now, virtually every school division on the Peninsula begins before Labor Day, as well as Virginia Beach. Norfolk was among the latest to shift for the upcoming school year, with board member Noelle Gabriel saying it gives students a chance to get acclimated to their classrooms so they will be “ready to hit the pavement” after the holiday. Poquoson also will join the trend for the upcoming school year.
Portsmouth and Chesapeake have voted against an early start for different reasons.
School administrators in support of the earlier start have said there are several benefits, including extra instructional time before students have to take standardized assessments. Many school board members across several divisions during recent discussions highlighted the need to get students into the classrooms earlier.
Additionally, Virginia Beach Chief of Schools Matthew Delaney explained the school system’s calendar is “very much more stafffriendly” as it adds in days throughout the school year for staff to get work done and prepare for transitions between terms. The latest version of the 2023-24 calendar
was approved in October.
It has been a process to get ready for the first pre-Labor Day start at Virginia Beach schools — as well as most other school divisions. Not only was there an extensive community engagement process, but now it’s coordinating with all the different departments. The department of school division services will need to ensure the buildings are ready in time and the summer programs will need to be coordinated to accommodate an early start.
“It’s going to be a shift for our folks,” Delaney said.
The change was not an easy decision. Survey results were often divided in support or opposition to a pre-Labor Day start as were the school board votes.
Norfolk’s survey showed that out of more than 8,000 responses, about 41% said yes to an early start. Administration came to the school board with a calendar option in which school started Sept. 5 for 2023-24. However, the board voted to adopt a different calendar, which starts Aug. 28.
It was a 4-2 vote. Board member Carlos Clanton was not present. Those in support of the new calendar said it was crucial to start earlier so that there would be more instructional time prior to standardized tests. Those opposed raised concerns about the change being “done right.”
Portsmouth’s survey showed similar divides with the school board’s vote reflecting the same. Parents were split 44.94% to 44.48% against the change while staff was more in support. The motion to approve a pre-Labor Day start this fall failed in a 5-3 vote.
Vice Chair LaKeesha Atkinson said there were concerns that not all families were aware the vote was that evening and the matter should be revisited.
The survey done for Hampton schools, which voted in the spring of 2022 to start pre-Labor Day, had been split 51.3% to 48.7% in support of the early start. Broken down by stakeholder group, it was easier to see where the divides were. Division employees were more in support of an earlier start than parents, as were students who participated in the survey. In this case, the school board voted unanimously.
On the other hand, a Chesapeake survey presented showed respondents were in support of the post-Labor Day start. Comments shared with the board in opposition of an earlier started included: “Tradition, many family reunions take place before the start of school based on the current calendar, “Starting after labor day allows my family to enjoy the non-tourist time of late summer in our resort city,” and “Because we need our summer to rest and recover.”
The Chesapeake School Board voted to start school after Labor Day, as did Suffolk.
“Kings Dominion Law” was implemented in the 1980s. It is named for a popular theme park north of Richmond, though it reportedly supported the tourism industry into the late summer. Waivers were available for school divisions that dealt with school closures due to inclement weather. This waiver was widely used in areas in which snow is more common. This meant Hampton Roads schools and families were used to the later start each year.
Norfolk School Board member Lauren Campsen, who supported a pre-Labor Day start, criticized allowing businesses to influence school calendars.
“We’re also happy not to finally have to have Busch Gardens determining our calendar,” Campsen said.
A pre-Labor Day start could be up for discussion again in the coming years. Fallon Graham, Chesapeake’s director of planning, policy and research, said in the Jan. 30 meeting this matter could be revisited “should a pre-Labor Day start be of interest in the future.” Interest in Portsmouth already has been vocalized.
“I do want us as a board to revisit this conversation and topic and come to a resolution, but I would like to see communication put out so we can definitely let our staff, parents, teachers know about the change again,” Atkinson said.