DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's school boards are looking for some help from state lawmakers in possibly moving up school start dates this fall.
"The kiddos have missed their last nine weeks of school, and we're going to need some extra time to get them back up to speed--figure out where the holes are, where teachers are going to have to step in and teach some back lessons" says West Des Moines School Board member and Iowa Association of School Boards President-Elect Elizabeth Brennan.
She says some school districts may want an earlier start date from the state-mandated August 23rd, while others may not.
"Each individual school board needs the flexibility to set the start date depending on what their community needs. For some communities it may mean opening a week earlier than they normally would, other communities will open on the same day" Brennan says.
She says the IASB is aware earlier school start dates could conflict with this year's Iowa State Fair.
"We need to really think about our kids. We need to think about kids who've missed the last nine weeks with their friends and their coaches...think about their social and emotional help" Brennan says.
The 2020 Iowa State Fair is scheduled to run August 13th through the 23rd.