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Minds and Matter: State wavers (waivers) on local controls
by Kevin Hatfield, School Superintendent · Op-Ed · January 30, 2015


A recent decree from Governor Branstad and Education Director, Dr. Buck states that school early start waivers will no longer be granted to districts unless they can identify that “significant negative educational impact” will occur.


For the past 30 years, the Iowa Code 279.10(1) reads as, “…school shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar wee in which the first day of Sept. falls...if first day falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day during the calendar week which immediately proceeds the first day in September,” but for educational reasons, local control was instilled in this legislation through a simplified waiver request process.

A simple waiver allows school boards the ability to approve (generally) a mid- to late-August start to school. Why? Perhaps is follows the logic that local school boards, parents, administrators and teachers tend to know more about the interests and needs of their students.

As superintendent, I support the words of Dr. Dan Smith, executive leader of the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), when he recently penned, “School boards should determine their school district’s calendar. It is a local control topic and board of education responsibility to determine the best calendar to meet the needs of their students, staff and community. School activities begin early in August.” (I.e. fall sports and extra-curricular activities.)

Furthermore, it is important that the legislature not turn this important local control decision over to the special interest groups (namely the tourist industry) who have no responsibility or accountability for student learning and the other needs of students.

For educational reasons, I don’t believe a late start (September to June) calendar supports student learning. Here are just a few additional concerns regarding the possible denial of an early start time waiver:

Over the past four years, the West Branch Community School District has nearly quadrupled the number of students enrolled in concurrent (college credit) courses saving West Branch families thousands of dollars.

All local universities and colleges have already approved mid- to late-August start dates for their 2015-2016 calendars. At this stage, we really are a K-14 system.

The new Kirkwood Regional Academic Center is scheduled to open in August of 2015.

Nearly all of our colleges and universities have finals scheduled between Dec. 4, 2015, and Dec. 16, 2015, as well as second semester finals in early May.

For instructional and assessment reasons, ending the first semester before the winter break is considered a best practice in education.

We have year-round FFA and allow and support our students who have 4-H and FFA commitments — regardless.

The W.B.C.S.D.’s Board of Education has viewed two calendars. One calendar will show an early start date waiver format that is similar to this year’s calendar.

We discussed additional reasons why starting later would have a significant negative impact on our students.

A second calendar will likely show a mid-January conclusion to the first semester and an end-of-school date during the first or second week of June 2016.

In conclusion, school boards should have the ultimate responsibility for determining the educational programming and support needs of their students and their communities. I am hopeful a compromise can be found.