Republicans on a House Committee have voted to set “on or after August 23” as the time frame for Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools to start the fall semester. Iowa’s tourism industry has complained for years about schools starting classes earlier and earlier in August. Governor Branstad’s education director issued a memo two months ago telling schools they’ll no longer get waivers to ignore the state law which declares that Iowa schools are to start during the week in which September 1st falls. Representative Patti Ruff, a Democrat from Maquoketa, is a former school board member and she says local school officials should be making this decision, not the state.

Representative Ron Jorgenson, a Republican from Sioux City is also a former school board member and his first instinct was for “local control.”

Both Jorgensen and Ruff worry the debate in the legislature on this issue will drag on, delaying decisions about when to start classes this fall, ultimately forcing every Iowa district that isn’t a year-round school to start the fall semester on Monday, August 31st. That’s the first day of the week in which September 1st falls.