Mike Fields opposes the measure, because it would mean high school students would have to take first semester exams after the holiday break.
They were among several parents interviewed by The Pilot Thursday morning as they dropped off their children at Southern Middle School.
“We need our full summer back,” Johnstone said. “It was wonderful when I was young. Now summer just seems so short.”
Some opponents of House Bill 1464 have said that giving high school students end-of-semester exams after Christmas break would be bad. Fields, who has two daughters in high school, agrees.
“I certainly understand having the students finish one course of study before Christmas break,” Field said. “I think that is very important.
“Starting school later in the year doesn’t really affect my family per se. We’re willing to go with whatever the schedule is.”
The bill, as proposed, would require schools to begin each year no earlier than Aug. 25. Schools would not be able to conclude each year until June 10.
Many of those who support the bill say the tourism industry has been negatively impacted by the earlier school start. The Moore County school system began the current school year Aug. 6, 2003, nearly four full weeks before Labor Day.
“I can certainly see that, especially for the beach communities,” Fields said. “Whether it really makes that big a difference for our community I’m not really sure. But I certainly understand how the beaches would benefit from it.”
Lester Seidenberg opposes the bill.
“As a parent of a high school student, having the exams over before the break is a good thing,” he said, “because you waste too much time after the break studying for the tests.
“Why study for the test before the break and then wait until January? Get it done. Get it over with and then you can go on to something new. Sure the (current) schedule gets in the way of family vacations, but we can cope. Go in May. There’s cheaper rates anyway.”
Craig Baggett would like to see a return to a more traditional summer.
“I think it starts a little early,” he said. “It would help us plan summer vacations if they move it back.”
Donna Sampson supports moving the start of school back.
“I liked when they started later,” she said. “It would probably make it easier for us to plan family vacations.”
Sampson said concerns over the timing of tests are unfounded.
“My daughter would do well either way,” she said. “Either you know it or you don’t. She does well regardless.”
Antoine Rhone, who was dropping off his younger brother, said his family would prefer to have school start later in the year.
“I think they should pass it,” he said. “I think the summer is a little too short right now. They’re starting in early August and getting out in late May.”
Nicole Farris said school used to start after Labor Day when she was a child.
“I enjoyed it,” she said. “I like the idea. I think it fits into some parents’ schedules a little bit better.
Though she supports the change for family reasons, Farris isn’t completely sold on the bill.
“I think testing students after Christmas vacation might be a problem,” she said. “When they’re in school, they’re in a groove and when they’re out of school, they just totally forget about it. They’re not thinking about school when they’re at home.”
Farris isn’t sure the calendar change would be beneficial for the tourism industry,
“I don’t know about that,” she said. “I really don’t know if it will help out that much more. It seems like it’s picking up just fine the way it is.”
Michelle Jordan thinks starting school in early August is too soon, though she agrees that testing could be affected.
“I don’t want them in school when it’s blistering hot,” she said. “Testing is more important than tourism. You could do it this way or do it that way. I’m not really sure.”
Petra Bartolo, a stay-home mother, said legislators should “do what will best benefit children in the long run.”
She said planning family vacations has never been problem for her.
“We plan when we can and they have so many different holidays throughout the school year,” she said. “They also have a wonderful policy that if your child can afford to miss a few days and you need to go on a vacation. You can find a reason to put it down if it’s an educational trip. We find things to do that are more local and educational like archeological digs.”
