Gov. Hogan To Introduce Bill To Require Maryland Public Schools To Start After Labor Day
ANNAPOLIS, MD. (WJZ) — Governor Larry Hogan is introducing the Universal School Start Act of 2020, which would require Maryland public schools to start after Labor Day.
The debate has been ongoing since 2016 when Gov. Hogan issued an executive order mandating that schools begin after Labor Day. The order went into effect in September 2017.
The Maryland General Assembly, however, overrode the executive order in 2019 to leave the local school boards to decide when to start their academic year.
"We have taken a lot of actions over the past five years, but I can't think of a single one that has more widespread, enthusiastic support across the state," said Governor Hogan. "But after two years of it working very well, and after the 2018 election was completed, last year in 2019 special interests snuck a bill in and legislators reversed himself and ignored the people again by reversing this common-sense action with a misguided piece of legislation, which has the potential to cause mass confusion this fall and in future years with a potential for 24 different start dates spread over several weeks."
This new bill would overturn the current law allowing local school boards to decide when the academic year should begin.
