WS/FCS joins other districts in defying state law and starting school early

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education voted to approve an academic calendar with an earlier start and end date, which will be out of compliance with state law.

Several other North Carolina districts are making the same move. 

NC legislation states that school can’t start before the Monday closest to August 26. But that schedule means students aren’t able to take their exams until after they return from winter break. 

At a meeting on Thursday, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board Member Trevonia Brown-Gaither said that’s challenging for teachers. 

“Most teachers wanted to finish before the semester ended because it is so difficult to come back after break and actually try to do any kind of learning and review in those three weeks," she said. "It’s impossible.”

Katie Sonnen-Lee, a parent in the district, said it’s also not ideal for kids, like her middle schooler. 

“He was really stressed about coming back from the break and having tests or check-ins or whatever he needed to do," she said. 

That’s why several North Carolina school districts, including Stokes and Iredell-Statesville, have recently opted to defy state law and start the year earlier. 

The WS/FCS Board of Education voted to do the same after conducting a virtual survey. The results showed overwhelming support for the earlier start from parents, teachers and students. 

Forsyth County Association of Educators President Jenny Easter said this was a schedule for which teachers have spent years advocating.

"I think this is a great step in setting precedents, especially for large urban districts," Easter said. "And I feel like we're really unified in that decision, and we're working together to make sure that the schedule is set up to affect our students and our educators in the best way possible."

But some board members, like Leah Crowley, raised concerns about implementing the change this year, when families may already have summer plans. 

“One speaker had mentioned summer vacations, but it's actually a lot larger than that," Crowley said. "You've got jobs, you've got camps, you've got internships kids are doing, you've got college visits.” 

The board voted 6-3 to approve the calendar with school starting August 12, and ending on May 20. There are currently no consequences written into state law for those schools that start earlier.  

More information about the coming academic year can be found on the district website. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.