Cabarrus County Schools push state to allow more flexibility in district calendar WSOC TV

CONCORD, N.C. Another local school district wants the state to give it the right to start school earlier, a move that has put the school officials at odds with the state's tourism industry. Cabarrus County's Board of Education said an earlier start date will give them more flexibility and improve test scores.

CONCORD, N.C. — Another local school district wants the state to give it the right to start school earlier, a move that has put the school officials at odds with the state's tourism industry.

Cabarrus County's Board of Education said an earlier start date will give them more flexibility and improve test scores.

Tourism industry experts said the last two weeks of August are among the busiest in North Carolina. This is why state law requires schools start no earlier than the last week of August.

School officials said they believe the law hurts students.

Cabarrus County Board of Education member Carolyn Carpenter said she sees how it hurts students in their test scores.

She said students need to take final exams before the two week winter break, but the current calendar doesn't allow it.

"The children or students forget all the things they've learned and the quarter ends right at the end of December," Carpenter said.

Executive Director of the North Carolina Travel Industry Association Vincent Chelena said starting the school year earlier threatens tourism and directly impacts schools.

"Tourism generated over $1.2 billion in state taxes in 2017 and over $739 million in local taxes. With nearly 60 percet of those tax dollars earmarked for education, the tourism industry is the second largest funder for teacher salaries, school construction, and programs to reduce class size," Chelena said in an email to Channel 9.

Parent Bennice Tipton, who has two children in Cabarrus County schools, said she sees both sides of the debate.

"I would hate to distract from that, but you don't want to take away from the children either," Tipton said.

At Monday night's Cabarrus County Commission Meeting, the Board of Education has asked commissioners to pass a resolution, formally requesting state lawmakers to give North Carolina school districts the power to set their own calendars.

Meanwhile, the district is likely going to pause its redistricting efforts.

The proposal would move some boundaries, possibly forcing 4,500 students to go to other schools. The Cabarrus County Board of Elections said it hoped to vote on proposed plans next month.

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