All but 10 school districts in Iowa typically apply for an early start waiver from the Department of Education each year, but moving forward those applications won’t be automatically approved as they have been in the past.
Iowa code states that classes are not to start before the week that includes September 1st and it looks like that is going to be enforced more starting this fall.
“The director or director’s designee will only consider a school or school district’s request for a waiver if the school or school district has adequately demonstrated that starting on or after the date specified will have a significant negative educational impact.” says Perry School Superintendent Lynn Ubben.
She adds that not knowing the specifics of these plans makes it difficult for districts to plan and they may have to put proposed calendars together for the 2015-2016 school year.
Ubben says if classes don’t start until September 1st, schools won’t get out next spring until possibly the second week in June.