While I think most are OK with the August 23rd start date some wanted to see the last week of August instead, but it is unfortunate how the School District came to the decision;
However, survey conducted earlier this school year showed that more than 55 percent of 5,177 parents surveyed wanted the start date moved back to before Labor Day. Two-thirds of more than 2,000 staff surveyed also said they wanted school to start before Labor Day.
I still think this decision should have been left up to voters with the June 6th school board election. I think leaving non-parents and non-teachers out of the decision that still help fund public education in Sioux Falls sends the wrong message. Parents and teachers that are registered voters could have voted with non-parents and non-teachers that pay property taxes in our community and had an equal say also, instead of tipping the scales in their favor with a dubious survey. An election would have been the COMMON SENSE way to decide the school start date, and with an election less then two months away, it would not have been inconvenient to the school district. It seems the school board and school administrators still struggle with the concept of a democracy.