Longer school year worries Ohio's tourism industry

[Auburn85 438]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,2134187.story

By JOHN SEEWER | Associated Press Writer

TOLEDO, Ohio - Adding four weeks to Ohio's school year will create a shorter summer travel season and hurt everyone from big amusement parks to family-run campgrounds, those in the travel industry say.

Some argue that the proposal for an extended school year announced last week by Gov. Ted Strickland will cost jobs and shrink tax revenue at a time when the state can't afford it.

"This is going to hit them in the pocketbook," said Paige Alost, head of the Athens County Visitors Bureau in southeast Ohio. "For us tourism is a major economic factor, not just in the county but in our region."

Tourism has been a growth industry too, generating $38 billion for Ohio in 2007. That's up by $10 billion since 2003.

Adding 20 days to the school year is just one piece of Strickland's plan to overhaul Ohio's public schools and increase learning in the classroom.

School districts will be able to determine when to add the extra days that will be phased in over the next decade, Strickland spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said.

So far, there are few other details about the changing school calendar or the cost of paying teachers and operating buildings over four additional weeks.

What's certain is that travel industry leaders will try to convince lawmakers that cutting the summer short will hurt businesses that produce about $2.5 billion in annual tax revenue for state and local governments.

"We're not a sunbelt state. Families have a limited window to travel," said John Hildebrandt, general manager of Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky.

Cedar Point and others already were pushing the state to delay the start of school until after Labor Day to help tourism create more jobs. "It's a big part of Ohio's future and can be a big part of Ohio's recovery," Hildebrandt said.

School districts in Michigan have been required to start classes after Labor Day since 2006. Education groups opposed the move, but tourism officials said it was needed to help businesses hurt by the 2001 terrorist attacks and higher gas prices.

As a result, Cedar Point saw an increase in visitors from Michigan in late August of 2006. So did some water parks in northern Ohio.

Strickland's administration said in September that promoting tourism would be one of its key initiatives to revive the state's economy.

Teens, teachers and college students who depend on summer tourism jobs would take a financial hit if more school days were added, said Marc McQuaid, executive director of the Ohio Travel Association.

The trade group would rather see the school day lengthened than have more days added, he said.