Debate: Labor Day School Start

For the State of the Industry story in the current issue of Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal, I had a quick chat with Kevin Matzek, director of government affairs for Hospitality Minnesota. He gave me a list of the organization's policy agenda items for the current legislative session, which included the perennial issue of whether to start school before Labor Day, or keep the current law stating that school can't start before Labor Day.

Well I assume Matzek and the other folks at Hospitality Minnesota are happy at the news I discovered on Bob Collins' News Cut blog. The post-Labor Day school start stays. But what's interesting to me is the opinion poll he's got on there. As of this posting, 56 percent of respondents want to change the law; 41 percent agree with today's decision in the legislature.

What do you think? Is the extra week at the end of the summer critical to greater Minnesota's hospitality industry or do school districts need that week to start school, especially when the holiday falls late, as it does this year?

--Marni Ginther
Assistant Editor

Comments

[Sarah]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sarah

http://www.lyricsdigs.com

[Peter Tobias]

I want a longer school year. Today students have too few school days in America, compared with other (competing) countries. If school starts only after Labor Day, the students should study in June.