Should Wisconsin end its mandatory school-start date?

One representative believes students should be back before Sept. 1

MADISON, Wis. – Starting school before Sept. 1 is back for debate in the Wisconsin state capitol.

Under Representative Jim Ott’s bill, school districts with more than 20 percent of students taking advanced placement exams could choose an earlier start date. 

Ott believes many people are not vacationing right before school begins, so the tourism industry would not suffer with less high schoolers working.

State lawmaker Steve Doyle disagreed, and the tourism industry has opposed previous legislative efforts to repeal Wisconsin’s mandatory school start date.

Ott said an earlier start date would allow school districts to have more instructional time before advanced placement exams are given in the spring.