By Ann O'Hanlon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 7, 1998; Page D01

Virginia lawmakers have all but killed the Fairfax and Prince William school boards' plans to start classes before Labor Day this year, sparking accusations from school officials that the legislature ranks recreation ahead of education.

The two districts had sought permission from the state Board of Education for the early start. School officials noted that Labor Day falls on the latest possible day this year -- Sept. 7 -- and they said that starting classes Sept. 8 would force students to attend school until about June 22, a time when their concentration lags. The late calendar also would mean fewer instructional days before spring tests for the state's newly imposed Standards of Learning.

But a bill passed by the General Assembly at the urging of the state's tourist industry would place new limits on the state board's authority to allow pre-Labor Day classes.

In response, Prince William County School Board members voted Wednesday to begin school Sept. 8 rather than Aug. 31, saying that they believed they would no longer qualify for the earlier start and that they could not wait any longer to set the calendar for next school year. The Fairfax County School Board, citing similar reasons, agreed Thursday to vote next week on withdrawing its request to start classes Sept. 1.

"There is a belief, I'm afraid, that education can take a back seat to tourism," said Edward L. Kelly, Prince William's school superintendent.

A decade-old law bars Virginia public schools from opening before Labor Day but gives the state board some leeway in granting waivers. The law was sought by tourist industry officials, who said starting school earlier would mean that fewer families would go on vacation during Labor Day weekend and that businesses would lose student workers.

Business officials pushed for this year's bill because they said there were too many loopholes allowing school systems to get waivers, said James Copp, vice president of finance and administration at Paramount's Kings Dominion and chairman of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association.

Under the bill, the state board could not grant a waiver unless a district had a history of weather-related closures or needed more school days to implement a new curriculum. Republican Gov. James S. Gilmore III's spokesman said he has yet to review the bill, which passed the Senate last month and the House on Thursday.

"All we're talking about here is five days," Copp said. "Whether you put those five days in August or . . . June, the law does not do anything to change the number of days the children go to school."

Copp said the last week in August is "the single-biggest week in tourism in the state of Virginia."

Not only would many tourist-related businesses have to close once their student workers went back to school, he said, but the public school system needs the state dollars provided by tourism.

Michael N. Carsch, general manager of the Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner, was among the local business leaders who opposed Fairfax's request to start school Sept. 1. Carsch said school administrators need to find creative ways to give students more instructional time rather than simply asking for school to start a week earlier.

School officials in two other Northern Virginia districts seeking state permission to start classes before Labor Day said they would not withdraw their requests.

Loudoun County officials said their request is based on the number of days schools close because of snow and therefore is likely to be granted. Manassas Park Superintendent Tom DeBolt said his system would wait for final word from the state.

Maryland has no prohibition on pre-Labor Day classes, and all the Maryland districts in the Washington area plan to start school in late August this year.