As school starts in Baltimore city on Monday, it could be the last time kids see August on the calendar during the regular school year.
According to CBS Baltimore, Gov. Larry Hogan is expected to declare later this week that schools won’t be starting until after Labor Day in Maryland. The later start has been a big issue for Comptroller Peter Franchot, who is set to join Hogan at a press conference scheduled for Wednesday in Ocean City. The county where Ocean City is located is the only district in the state that starts after Labor Day.
Last year at this time, Franchot mounted a campaign to push back the start of school, arguing it could have a big economic impact for the state. Families could also get in a few extra memorable vacation moments, and the state’s tourism spots would benefit from the visitors, Franchot said. His campaign was called “Let Summer Be Summer.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Franchot, a Democrat, and Hogan, a Republican, are standing together on a summer-related education issue. The two were united on a move to freeze funds over air conditioning repair plans. In Baltimore County, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced plans to speed up the repairs.
This year, the County already had to close schools that lacked air conditioning twice, including Monday. We’ll see if that factored into Hogan’s decision when he formally makes the announcement.
