Tourism executives want alternative to longer school year

March 31, 2009

Sandusky Register

It used to be high winds and heavy rains were the only things that could shorten a summer in northern Ohio, but if you ask some local businesses, education reforms proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland could prove to rival any Lake Erie tempest.

"There are only so many days in the summer," said Mike Sortino, director of operations for Sortino Management. "You can't make up another Aug. 23. There's only one Aug. 23 in the summer, and once you take it away, you can't take it back."

Pick your day, but pick 20 days, because that's what the governor is proposing to add to the school year by 2019 as part of a plan to improve Ohio's education system and expand learning opportunities.

Among many components of his proposed reform, Strickland is hoping to phase the 20 extra days into the school year within the next 10 years by adding four days every two years. The average number of school days internationally is 200, but Ohio students are in school just 180 days a year.

"The school districts will have flexibility as to how those days are added to the school year," said Amanda Wurst, the governor's spokesperson. "This brings Ohio schools closer to the international average."

Local tourism and hospitality executives say they support the governor's intentions, but they're asking him to find a different solution to expand classroom time.

"I haven't read the entire proposal, but we would certainly like to explore other options beyond this," said Sortino, whose company owns and operates Rain waterpark and a number of hotels and entertainment-related businesses in the area. "Being a tourism mecca, we've worked very hard as a local area in the last several years to expand the summer season."

"I know you have to weigh the economic impact versus what's best for our kids," he said, "but all things being said, the push in most areas has been to extend the summer season not to start until after Labor Day."

Other leading businesses said the governor's proposal, as outlined, will be disastrous for the region's tourism revenue.

"Cedar Fair Entertainment Company applauds the Governor's commitment to improving education for Ohio students," Cedar Fair CEO Richard Kinzel said in a letter to area legislators. "However, the plan to extend the school year by 20 days will have a disastrous impact on Ohio's tourism industry, including Ohio's two largest amusement parks, Cedar Point and Kings Island."

Robin Innes, director of operations at Cedar Point, said the increased school year will be detrimental not just locally but throughout the state.

"We're all for education, but we need to look at a couple different alternatives, rather than just increasing the length of the school year," Innes said. "We definitely support the governor trying to improve Ohio's education system, but I don't think this is a plan that'll work in Ohio."

It's been a similar tone at businesses that rely on summer sales for their livelihood, said Dawn Weinhardt, managing director at Lake Erie Shores and Islands, the area's tourism center.

"We all feel pretty much the same way," Weinhardt said. "They should at least consider another workable alternative."

Weinhardt said she and others in the industry are drafting a letter to send to the governor's office, supporting the education reforms but encouraging an alternative to a longer school year, whether it's an extra hour tacked onto existing days or some variation.

Weinhardt and other industry executives, including those at Cedar Fair, also questioned the feasibility of the governor's plan. In a 26-page report, Cedar Fair outlined the costs and implications of the proposal. It costs $6.8 million a day to operate Ohio's schools, and an increase in school days would no doubt trigger more expenses in teaching time, student travel and virtually every aspect of education.

"That money has to come from somewhere," Weinhardt said.