Governor "has concerns" about summer break bill

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - UPDATE (12:40 p.m.):  Alabama Governor Robert Bentley's Press Secretary Jennifer Ardis issued this statement Wednesday.  “Governor Bentley has some concerns about HB360 because it restricts flexibility at the local level. The Governor will conduct a thorough review of this bill as passed and make a decision on whether to sign it in the coming days.”

The Alabama Legislature has passed a bill designed to boost tourism spending by prohibiting schools from starting more than two weeks before Labor Day and requiring them to end before Memorial Day.
    
The Senate voted 25-10 for the bill and the House agreed 64-30 Tuesday night. The bill now goes to the governor for his review.   In an e-mail Tuesday, Lisa A. Woodard of the School Superintendents of Alabama said she expected the Governor to veto the measure.

Republican Sen. Trip Pittman said mandating a longer summer vacation would lead to more family trips and would generate more than $22 million annually in extra state tax revenue.
    
Opponents said families only have so much money to spend, and a longer summer will result in trips during fall and spring breaks being curtailed. They said stretching out the summer vacation will hurt students because research has shown the longer the summer break, the more students forget.

Mobile County School Superintendent Martha Peek told Fox 10 News the two calendar options that the MCPSS Calendar Committee will send out for employee review and vote are:

• 170 Days of School – Holidays stay as planned on the first approved calendar – Each school day will be 25 minutes longer.
• 173 Days of School – Holidays shortened - Thanksgiving/three days and Mardi Gras /three days – Each school day will be 18 minutes longer.

Peek said, if necessary, there will be a public hearing on the calendar and then the suggested calendar will be sent to the Board for consideration and approval.