School bells might stay silent before Labor Day in Indiana under a bill endorsed by the Senate's education committee Wednesday.
The legislation, written by Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, would prohibit public schools and accredited nonpublic schools from starting classes before Labor Day.
Its original version would have also prevented schools from keeping students in class after June 10, but an amendment added Wednesday would let local school boards make the final call after a public hearing on when to end the school year.
Delph said the amendment was added to garner political support. He lauded his bill as the result of a grassroots "family values" movement in Indiana to save summers. It prompted him to recall his own days as a Hoosier youth.
"Labor Day was traditionally a big family day for us," Delph said. "We'd get together as a family. It was really the demarcation between summer and fall, between playing flashlight tag and going swimming and going to school."
It's nice that Delph has such warm family memories, but it's often a mistake to legislate based on one's personal experience. As welcome as the "after Labor Day" rule might be (I have warm memories, too), it's best to let local school districts hang on to the few prerogaties they have left. Having the ability to set school year start and finish times is especially important in light of the state's insistence on 180 days of school times and the recent prohibition about getting credit toward the 180 days for snow days.
