Kaufert and School Start Dates

According to an AP story on 11/30/07, freshman Republican Jim Ott of Mequon wants to remove the 2000 law that prevents schools from beginning before September 1.

The move to eliminate this law is supported by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards as well as, according to Ott, many school superintendents.

According to the article:

If Ott wants a hearing on the bill, he will get one, said Tourism Committee Chairman Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah. But Kaufert said he didn't expect the idea to get much support.

"I don't hear an outcry from people," he said. "I
thought this was pretty much behind us."

The original bill in 2000 strikes me as a "Big Gov in Madison excessively sticking its control hand into local communities" law. What makes one think that a rep in Madison from, say, Neenah, knows what is best for a local community education system in Milwaukee or Bayfield when it comes to a start date for the school year.

I would hope that communities would be able to work together to determine what works best to facilitate a healthy economy while serving the educational needs of the children. It seems that the current law does not allow this to happen. If so, then the proposal to allow communities and school districts to determine what serves them best would seem to make the most sense.