Will School Start Before Labor Day?

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is considering pursuing a waiver to allow the school system to open a week before Labor Day and end a week earlier in June starting with the 2012-13 school year.

The school system is seeking feedback from parents about the idea. Click here to take FCPS' online survey. The survey period ends Jan. 24.

While Maryland and DC students often return to the classroom in August, a state law mandates that Virginia schools begin after Labor Day. The law is dubbed the "King's Dominion Rule" because of its strong backing by Virginia's tourism industry, which approves of  the law because it gives families one more week to visit attractions. It also gives tourist attractions one more week before they have to lose student workers.

School systems can only circumvent the law if granted a rare state waiver (none of the Northern Virginia districts have one this year).

Paul Regnier, spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools,  told Patch last summer a request to allow the county to set its start date is a perennial in the school system's legislative package – the list of items it would like from Richmond.

Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67th district) also said in a town hall meeting this December that he will propose a bill this legislative session that will allow local school systems to determine their own start times. 

"One of the little projects I've taken in the off-season is to visit with principals. The vote is 15 to zero to start school before Labor Day," he said, but noted the issue was controversial among many people.

"It's not a mandate, we just want to leave it open to the school boards," he said at the time.

Mary Stachyra contributed to this report.