Debate Over School Start Date in Maryland Continues
The Maryland State Senate voted Tuesday to enable local school boards to make the decision whether school begins before before or after Labor Day.聽The 31-13 vote was along party lines in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The measure will advance to the House of Delegates where Democrats hold a supermajority. The issue has聽prompted a battle聽with Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, who signed an executive order in 2016 requiring schools to start after Labor Day. 聽The Governor and supporters say the longer summer break provides more family time but also crucially serves as a boost to local economies that thrive on tourism, namely Ocean City.
Critics argue the Governor’s executive order shortchanged education and wrongly stripped the power from local jurisdictions.
