“Effective immediately, the department will no longer automatically grant waivers of the school start date requested under Iowa (law) for the 2015-2016 school year.”
Big move. Stories: Gazette, Register (AP), KCCI. It was one thing to get waivers starting school the week before Labor Day. It became another thing entirely when everyone was moving school 2½ weeks before. Sept. 1, 2015, is a Tuesday, meaning that school cannot start until Aug. 31.
One question to be answered later: How will this affect the expanded football playoffs?
If this comes up in the Legislature, changing the law to “last full week of August” would be a fine compromise.