SOUTH BEND — A controversial education measure took another step forward at the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday. Senators gave a 31-19 green light to a bill that would prevent most schools from starting classes before Labor Day.

It would apply to all public and accredited private schools, but would not affect schools that currently utilize a year-round schedule. Under the current language in the bill, it would not take effect until the fall of 2012.

The Proposal

The bill is aimed at boosting tourism by giving students a longer summer vacation.

Many tourism officials--including Indiana's Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus--says the measure is long overdue.

"Tourism traffic slows down in August. That has all to do with the school year I think," said South Bend/Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau Director of Sales Carolyne Wallace.

"With the economic downturn we've experienced, a lot of families are staying closer to home and having shorter vacations, or stay-cations as we call them. But, they eat out. They visit attractions. They're spending money in souvenir shops and paying for admissions. We lose a lot [of that] when August 1st hits and people start thinking--it's time to get back to school," Wallace continued.

Right now, most Indiana schools begin the school year in early-mid August. Each summer day in class takes money out of the local economy, experts say.

"8,000 jobs depend on tourism within our county," Wallace said. It's a big economic driver here in the community."

But, it could be bigger, some lawmakers argue.

If schools didn't start until after Labor Day, families could spend more money on stay-cations or longer vacations across the area.

Cash strapped schools could also cut down on cooling costs, because empty buildings wouldn't have to be fully air-conditioned. And high school students could continue to work summer jobs, stimulating the economy by adding to the state's income tax coffers and spending additional income.

It's already worked in several other states--including Michigan--where lawmakers mandated a "post-Labor Day" start in 2005.

Already Working

According to one analyst from the Michigan Boating Industries Association, the initial boost from the legislation added more than $10 million in state tourism tax revenue in the first year alone. Another study in Alabama--where a similar bill to push school start dates past Labor Day is also under consideration--estimates the current loss of tourism dollars for every August day with school in session at $26 million per day across the state.

Those types of numbers have held true in Southwest Michigan as well, said Southwest Michigan Tourist Council Executive Director Millicent Huminsky.

"We measure increases and decreases in hotel assessment taxes, so it's very accurate information. And, we compared the last two weeks in August [four years ago] to the last two weeks in August the previous year. We were up 30 percent," Huminsky said.

Local August tourism revenues have only grown since then, despite the downturn in the economy.

"The last four years since this was enacted, the month of August has been larger than the month of July for tourism in our lakefront communities. That was never, ever the case before. July was always the number one month," Huminsky said.

Asked for her general assessment of the later start date, Huminsky didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Absolutely positive," she said.

But, some school corporations across the state have voiced concerns over the plan.

Shifting Concerns

Because the state mandates 180 days of education every year, some are worried the calendar itself will just shift.

"It would have great implications, of course, on Christmas break," said School City of Mishawaka Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction Dan Towner.

Right now, the fall semester--and consequently, final exams for high school students--ends at Christmas break.

"If we push [the start date] back until after Labor Day, that would mean the first semester would extend into January. So, you have a large break period, and then you come back for just a couple weeks of the balance of the semester. That could potentially be disruptive to our students," Towner said.

It could also push the end of the school year back.

Mishawaka Schools have already studied the potential effects of a post-Labor Day schedule, mocking up a "draft" copy last year.

"It would put school ending on the 15th," Towner said. "That's June 15th. We currently, in 2010, will be ending on May 27th."

A Different Solution

The original version of Indiana's Senate bill, authored by Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel), would have also prevented schools from keeping students in class after June 10. But an amendment added last week would allow local school boards to hold a public hearing, then vote on the final ending date.

The problem, some say, is the 180 day requirement.

In Michigan, lawmakers got around that by changing education requirements from days to hours. Students now must receive 1,098 hours of instruction per year.

"That allowed schools to add time--5 minutes, 10 minutes, 25 minutes--onto the school day while subtracting the number of days in school. So, the last day didn't change," Huminsky said.

Towner says Mishawaka is open to discussion about that--and other school start date proposals.

"From an academic point of view, we have to have those days in school," he said. "It's 180 days right now. But, I don't think where we put that in the calendar necessarily has great advantages or disadvantages for us."

The bill now moves to the Democratically controlled House, where it will likely face a tougher fight than it did in the Republican controlled Senate. House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) told the Associated Press he is open to giving the bill a hearing in his committee, but he prefers to let local school boards make their own decisions on when to start school.