Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 12, 1992 TAG: 9202120316
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LABOR DAY EXEMPTION SOUGHT
The Salem School Board authorized the school superintendent Tuesday to apply for a waiver from state law that requires public schools to open after Labor Day.Superintendent Wayne Tripp requested permission to apply to the state Board of Education for a waiver in response to a Senate committee's vote last week that killed a measure to allow schools to open before Labor Day.
"There's never been a waiver granted on the basis other than days missed from school because of bad weather," Tripp said. "What we're suggesting from our reading of the law is the state Board of Education does have authority to grant a waiver for good cause.
"We think we have good cause."
The School Board asked City Council in November to petition state legislators to amend the city charter. One reason: The late start of the 1992-93 school year. The next school year is not scheduled to begin until Sept. 8, the Tuesday after Labor Day. Since 1988, state law has prohibited schools from opening before Labor Day. Schools in some localities have received permission to start the year earlier because students miss so many days during bad weather.
Bad weather is rarely a concern for Salem schools, but Tripp cited other reasons to support a "good cause" argument.
One is a possible conflict in scheduling dates for the Roanoke Valley Horse Show and the Salem High School graduation ceremony. Both events are traditionally held at the Salem Civic Center, the graduation one day and the horse show starting the following day. A late school start might push one event into the other, Tripp said.
Another reason is a possible increased need for substitutes to cover for teachers who take summer courses at area colleges and universities for recertification.
Without a waiver, Tripp said the school system would have to consider removing make-up days from the school calendar, doing away with spring break or cutting out the Memorial Day holiday.
"It we don't get it on one end, we'll get it on the other," he said.
Roanoke and Roanoke County also had requested charter amendments that would allow them to set their own school-opening dates.
Tripp said Roanoke School Superintendent Frank Tota and Bayes Wilson, superintendent of Roanoke County schools, have indicated they would "seriously" consider taking waiver proposals to their school boards. In Richmond on Monday, the three discussed waivers with Joseph Spagnolo, state superintendent of public instruction.