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Not Everyone's Happy With Hogan's Post-Labor Day School Start Plan

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- While Governor Larry Hogan's executive order forcing public schools to open after Labor Day may be generally popular with parents, those who run the school systems are not as supportive.

As Mike Schuh reports, the Baltimore County Executive is speaking out.

In the heat of August, the governor signed his order to keep schools closed until after Labor Day.

"After years of other elected officials stalling and failing to do what the vast majority of Marylanders wanted to see done, Governor Hogan was proud to finally move forward and start the school year after Labor Day. It's not only common sense but it is what is best for our students, families, and teachers," says Press Secretary with the Office of the Governor, Shareese Churchill.

Some parents like the idea, but not all.

And counties are handling it a bit differently. For instance, in Howard County, they're betting that they won't have that many weather days, so they're going to have a full week of spring break.

In Baltimore County, however, 115,000 students will have a shorter break because the county is saving days for reserve in case schools are closed for weather. Break will be cut from 11 days to just four days.

Outgoing Baltimore County Public Schools superintendent S. Dallas Dance says that could change.

"What we're going to do is look at it over the next two years and figure out how many inclement weather days we use, which always is going to be the misnomer of not necessarily knowing."

And Baltimore County executive Kevin Kamenetz is blasting the governor for taking away local control.

"He mandated that schools start after Labor Day, not to promote the academic outcomes of children, but to sell more funnel cakes in Ocean City."

The schedule change begins next school year.

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