WSET.com - ABC13No Snow Could Affect Education

Reporter:  David Tate

Roanoke, VA. - School administrators around the region say not having any snow days could cause future problems for kids in the classroom.

The problem is that districts rely on snow days to allow them the legal ability to start school before Labor Day. Without those days, kids that start after Labor Day will lose as many as 10 days of instructional time in that school year.

Virginia and Michigan are the only two states that mandate all students start the school year after Labor Day. That is unless Virginia districts meet the requirements to get a waiver, which is based on a formula involving snow days.

For many districts, including Roanoke County, no snow days this year likely means that next year will be the last year the district will be able to start before Labor Day.

"It's a condensed calendar and it means our kids won't have quite as much time to prepare for tests as they would now. That's the biggest reason that we want the General Assembly to change the law," said Chuck Lionberger, spokesman for Roanoke County Schools.

That's a big problem for most administrators, including Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Dr. Rita Bishop. She worked very hard in Richmond last year getting the law changed to allow Roanoke to use Roanoke County's waiver.

"I was hearing people, out of I think shear greed, were saying we were going to ruin the economy of Virginia if Roanoke City Public Schools got a waiver last year," said Bishop.

Known commonly as the King's Dominion law - many administrators are questioning whether the tourism industry has too much influence over lawmakers, skewing their priorities.

"I think it makes no sense. What it comes down to is a powerful lobby with a lot of money, and they are certainly not acting in the best interest of children," said Bishop.

At risk are 10 instructional days at the end of the year that are lost by starting after Labor Day.  Especially painful to AP students who lose days on the front end to prepare for a national test with a set date.

"Isn't it ridiculous that we have to have snow to have a great educational program?" said Bishop.

Unless we get a lot of snow or the General Assembly changes the law, it will be back to a post Labor Day schedule in 2013. A resolution is currently being considered that would allow school districts to decide for themselves what's the best starting time for their students. However, the tourism lobby again is putting up strong opposition.