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Students Speak About School Start Dates
11/18/09 - 06:22 PM

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As the Bay District School calendar start date debate continues, business owners, tourism officials and school board members are speaking their opinions.

Now the group who the first day of school affects the most, the students, are speaking out.

Students at Mosley High School say the first day of school affects several big issues. Most important to them are test, sports, and work.

Junior Jenna Zimmerman says an earlier start date will give them more time to study for the FCAT and AP tests.

“Some of our AP classes we don’t even start until second semester and so we wouldn’t even begin learning the material until close to February so that would only give us not even three months before the exam,” Zimmerman says.

Senior Mallory Bennett worked at a beach restaurant this summer and says although an earlier start date would give them more time to prepare for tests it cuts into students’ and businesses’ profits.

“In August it’s still a lot of tips coming in and those three weeks would be a lot of money that we would be losing as well as restaurants so I think it’s a loss on both sides not just for businesses,” Bennett says.

Junior Cody Consoli plays baseball for Mosley and for different leagues in the summer. He says although a later start would be better for his sports schedule, starting school earlier would help with exams.

“I wouldn’t like coming back from break and having to take exams I’d like doing it before because really who’s going to remember anything after two weeks,” Consoli says.

Senior Anthony Walker says he’d also rather start earlier, so they don’t have to split up exams. He says in one class they’re having one exam before Christmas and another after the break.

“This year we’re coming back and we’re going to the same classes and then we’re going to have to remember stuff from last year and take the exams and then switch in the middle of January to a new schedule which will be hard,” Walker says.

The students say whatever start date the school board ultimately chooses, they just want them to stick with it so that they can plan their schedules and vacations without wondering if they’ll have to cancel their plans.