Alabama Voters Want a Uniform, Late-August School Start Date.
A January 2009 survey by Capital Survey Research Center showed 83 percent of voters wanted a standard public school starting date. A 2005 public opinion poll by Southern Opinion Research showed the majority of Alabama voters agree the school year should not start until after Labor Day. The poll also found 43 percent of the state's registered voters favored the school year starting after Labor Day, while 51 percent supported a school start date of the last week of August or later. Conversely, only 26 percent of voters were happy with the current early-August school start dates in Alabama. By 62 to 33 percent margin, poll respondents said they preferred a calendar which included a longer summer vacation with traditional holiday breaks versus a plan involving a shorter summer vacation and more breaks during the school year.
(Click here for supporting documentation - Capital Poll)
(Click here for supporting documentation - Southern Opinion Research)

It Costs $14 Million More to Cool Our Schools In August.
According to 2009 economic impact report by Auburn University – Montgomery Professor of Economics Dr. Keivan Deravi, in any given year, June, July, August and September are the hottest months in Alabama. Any of these months can be the month with the peak electricity use of the year. Typically, May has never been the hottest month during this time, but the last two weeks of June are. Logically, a shift in school start dates from the last three weeks of August to the end of May and early June should result in lower electricity expenditures for Alabama school systems. Deravi’s analysis showed that such a simple exercise can lead to lowering of the utility (electricity) demand by the school systems by approximately six percent. This leads to an electricity savings of approximately $14 million for the school systems in Alabama. This could translate into 2,240,000 small group tutoring slots for our struggling students.
(Click here for supporting documentation)

Early-August School Start Dates Are Costing Alabama $ 333 Million Each Year.
A March 2009 report by Auburn University-Montgomery Professor of Economics, Dr. Keivan Deravi estimated $333 million in lost travel and tourism revenues and reduced summer earning opportunities for high school students and teachers. As well as increased non-instructional costs for school districts.
(Click here for supporting documentation)

States With Uniform School Start Dates Continue To Soar Academically.
Texas, Florida and South Carolina recently enacted uniform school-start date laws. According to news releases, standardized test scores rose in each state, since law enactment, and Texas and South Carolina saw increases on ACT scores while Florida saw an increase in SAT scores.
(Click here for supporting documentation)

School Districts Retain Control of School Holidays, Vacation Days, Teacher Work Days, Professional Development Scheduling and Semester End Dates.
This legislation will only set a date by which schools may begin no earlier. School districts are welcome to start later, should the school board desire. All other calendar decisions, such as when the first semester will end, teacher work days and staff development days, are left to the vote of the school board.

Federal Education Rules Require State to Issue AYP Reports a minimum of 14 Days Before the First Day of School.
Federal education reporting requirements have changed. In years past, the state was tasked with issuing Adequate Yearly Progress Reports no later than the first day of school. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, these reports are now due at least 14 days before the first day of school. The Office of Civil Rights issued a letter outlining the importance of this requirement to all state school officials. Allowing each district to start the school year when they choose makes it very difficult for the state to issue AYP reports in time. Federal law does allow federal fines if reporting requirements are not meet.
(Click here for supporting documentation)