Majority Of School Board Members Support Classes Starting Before September 1st

Nearly two-thirds of school board members say school districts should have the option to begin classroom instruction before September 1st.

That's according to a recent poll by the New York State School Boards Association.

65 percent of respondents are in favor of allowing school districts to start the school year prior to September 1st.

The State Board of Regents said at its December meeting that it would direct the State Education Department to draft legislation that would allow school districts to offer instructional days in August.

The poll also found that just over half of school board members would be in favor of a school year that was longer than 180 days.

"I think this poll is a recognition by many school board members that the current instructional calendar is in some ways not sufficient or flexible enough to meet the educational needs of our students," said Timothy Kremer, NYSSBA’s executive director.

The poll is not a scientific sampling of school board members.