School is Cool, but not in August!

The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority supports a uniform school start date in the Indiana.  This would benefit our schools, our students and our communities.

Why are early school start dates a problem for families in our community?

• Creates headaches for working parents who need quality child care during additional breaks throughout the school year.
• Discourages families to schedule vacations & visit other family members with later school start dates.
• Participation in church or civic-sponsored summer programs, summer camps or summer programs is diminished.

 How is learning affected by an early school start date?

•  Valuable instructional time is lost in the days preceding and following each break in the school calendar. When their routine is disrupted, children require time to readjust.
• Many school districts have low student attendance the first few weeks of school due to family vacations.
• Discourages summer employment. Young adults learn a responsibility from summer jobs, which can help them become better students in terms of discipline and time management.

 Why is a later start date better for the school?

• Utility costs are reduced. Tulsa, Oklahoma Public Schools moved their school start date from August 19 to the day after Labor Day and saved approximately $500,000 through reduced utility costs.
• Teachers are happier. Teachers often use this time to supplement their income by finding summer jobs and achieving advanced learning.
• Many schools are not equipped with adequate air conditioning for summer months which affects productivity for students, teachers and administrators.

How is the community affected?

• Texas & North Carolina studies found early school start dates cost their economies hundreds of millions of dollars annually as less families visit attractions, restaurants & other local businesses.
• Giving children their summers back would raise revenues without raising taxes. A South Carolina study estimates over $8 million in lost state and local tax revenues due to early school starts.
• If our summer attractions stay open daily through Labor Day, visitors are more likely to schedule vacations in NW Indiana and put more money into our economy. 

Why does the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority support a uniform school start date?

The SSCVA is here to lead and support the visitor industry through the marketing and development of the county from convention, sports, gaming and special interest travel segments, thereby increasing economic impact, creating employment and enhancing the communities' quality of life. 

• A uniform school start date would provide a greater opportunity for our attractions, restaurants, hotels, stores and other local businesses to benefit financially from visitors and local families spending with a longer summer break.
• A longer summer break provides the opportunity to use the school's sports facilities for local and national sporting events, brining in revenue to the schools through facility rental and concession sales and to the community through visitor spending.

If you have any other questions, please contact us at (219) 554-2229 or visit http://bit.ly/PNXN7H.