Later start date OK’d: County schools to begin Aug. 11 instead of Aug. 4

The Loudon County School Board voted last week to revise the 2008-09 school calendar, pushing back the first day of school a week from Aug. 4 to Aug. 11. Teresa Karimian, parent of an Eaton Elementary student came to the board’s workshop Monday night and urged the board to consider moving the start date back for various reasons. "There is no evidence to suggest an early start date works," she told the school board. Karimian noted the excessive heat many students have to suffer through in August, especially on non-air conditioned buses and in classrooms where air conditioning is inadequate or non-existent. She said bus rides were really difficult with many children suffering from heat-related illness not to mention children too hot to learn in a sweltering classroom. She also cited the possible economic benefits of a later start date. Karimian said North Middle School, Eaton Elementary and Highland Park Elementary spent $26,500 during August 2007 for utilities to combat the record high heat. She said a mid-August start date would drop that cost to approximately $13,000. These savings should come in handy in the board’s "continuos struggle" with the county commission over funds, she noted. Board member Freddie Walker Jr. said at the workshop if a calendar change would save on utility costs "it makes a lot of sense." Karimian also noted the dampening effect the earlier start date had on students who have summer jobs to save money for college or to gain experience to list on their college applications. She also cited the excessive days off during the middle of the school year that make it difficult for parents to find childcare. At the Monday workshop school board Chairman Bobby Johnson Jr. said he could see the merits of a later start date. "I’d like to start later," he said. "We’ll look at it and see what we can do."