Every year our Minnesota schools start after Labor Day, and unless you live on a farm you may not know why. Back before the stature started to stop school from starting before Labor Day, numerous students every year would miss many days at the beginning of the school year; due to the fact they lived and helped on the family farm. Several students would go with their family to the Minnesota state fair and present and help with animal and crop associated things.
Some states have enacted laws to the curb early school starts, in response to the parent and tourism-industry concerns. North Carolina in 2004 passed a bill to become a law saying schools generally can not start earlier than August 25th. Virginia has a law requiring classes to start after Labor Day. Wisconsin’s state law requires school to start after September 1st, and last year in 2007 Minnesota passed a law saying school could not start until after Labor Day.
It is not coincidental that the fist day of school in Minnesota comes after Labor Day. There has been a debate for a long time before the stature was issued, with some exceptions over the years. In 1985, the Legislature prohibited pre-Labor Day classes. In 1997, the rule was relaxed to deal with late Labor Days. The next year, schools got the OK to start before Labor Day as long as they waited until Sept. 1.
In 1997, for instance, schools were allowed to start on the Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays before Labor Day in 1998 and 1999 because Labor Day fell so late those years. In Minnesota history summer employment is obviously impacted by starting school before Labor Day. Parents love the post- Labor Day start. Labor Day always signals the last day of the Minnesota state Fair, and unofficially the end of summer, a time for kids to be kids, before marching back into school.
Two years after legislators established the issue of whether Minnesota schools could commence before Labor Day, the debate is being brought back up. Sen. Ann Lynch, a former Rochester school board member, has anticipated repealing the law that prohibits schools starting before Labor Day, except under particular conditions.
Opponents of Lynch appraise not that Minnesota’s resort owners, State Fair entrepreneurs and other depend on student employees and family vacationers, who would desert them if school started before Labor Day.
Juniors and sophomores should listen to this, and keep informed, because it could impact them greatly. Sen. Ann Lynch is trying to amend the new law for the next two years in Minnesota. Because of where Labor Day lands, Lynch is trying to get school to start on the Tuesday and Wednesday, for the next couple following years.
