Virginia ponders allowing schools to start before Labor Day without a waiver

RICHMOND, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Virginia could be one step closer to starting school two weeks before Labor Day.

The move would be in contract to efforts by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who wants school to start after Labor Day.

Like many people, growing up, school always started the day after Labor Day but not here in Fairfax County and several other counties across the commonwealth.

Under current law in Virginia, counties must apply for waivers to start school before Labor Day.

A new law would enable districts to start school earlier, two weeks before Labor Day, without requesting any waivers.

Parents in the district had mixed reactions.

"I think two weeks is a little bit too early. I could see maybe one week early," said Fairfax resident Amber Howell.

"I like the start after Labor Day. I like the traditional summer, that's the way I grew up... go back to the after Labor Day start," said Mount Vernon resident Cynthia Peverall.

Lawmakers in the commonwealth are overwhelmingly in favor for giving school districts the green light to start classes before Labor Day.

The House and the Senate are working on two distinct bills - both would allow local school boards the ability to determine what is best for their school calendar.

If the new law is passed, it would eliminate the current law which was initially put in place to infuse the state's tourism industry.

The current law is known across the state as the Kings Dominion Law - and it was in place to help the Virginia theme park's workforce a little longer.

"Many of the employees at Kings Dominion were high school students and therefore they didn't want to lose their employees as they headed off to school," said Fairfax County School Board Chairwoman Karen Corbett Sanders.

But times have changed since the law was put into effect, and now Kings Dominion is open beyond the summer.

Even so, the tourism industry for the most part feels starting school before Labor Day across the commonwealth will have an impact.