LTE: End the ‘Kings Dominion Law’

Dear Editor,

I am happy to see the bill eliminating the outdated “Kings Dominion Law” has passed the Virginia House of Delegates with bipartisan support. And I appreciate that my delegate, Barbara Comstock (R-34), introduced legislation to do this along with other Northern Virginia Delegates. This out of date law prevents schools in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties from starting before Labor Day and consequently forces students to stay in school until June when most academic learning has ceased following the SOL exams.

Currently, 77 of the 132 school districts in Virginia have been given waivers and are allowed to start class before Labor Day. Additional districts, including the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, want the freedom to start school in accordance with the preferences of their own local school boards. I believe our late start time adversely affects me and my classmates at Langley High School. For one thing, while other kids are able to hang out at the pool and start their summer jobs and internships earlier, we are stuck in school. It also puts me and my classmates at a disadvantage on national tests like SOLs and AP exams because other students who are allowed to start earlier get a head start on necessary learning.

Thanks to Delegate Comstock for recognizing this outdated law needs to change. While the Senate has killed this bill in the past, I hope they will wake up to what our students and parents are demanding.

Ben Parker

[While Loudoun County has previously been among the counties given a waiver in the past, Loudoun's exemption from the law has expired]