Bill could change school calendar

Since 2004, North Carolina classrooms are required to be vacant between early June and late August. That's because the General Assembly passed a law dictating when school could begin and end. But the change has never sat well with many school administrators. "The district needs the flexibility of scheduling its own calendar," says Joyce Keith of the Pender County School Board. She has helped determine Pender County's school calendar for the past several years. She says the current state-wide law has several problems. For one, their schedule now conflicts with community college and university calendars. "It particularly affects our high school students. When we're trying to encourage them to enroll in advanced-level courses," says Keith. Right now, the law says classes can't begin before August 25th or end later than June 10th. The push for a set-calendar was largely the work of a parent-group called 'Save Our Summers.' They want to make sure local school administrators don't cut summers short by starting school any earlier. Now, state lawmakers are challenging the 2004 law. A bill being discussed by the House Education Committee would allow some districts to once again set their own school calendars. Those in favor of the bill may have a tough time rallying support for an issue that was essentially laid to rest just a few years ago.