08-R153

2008 -- H 8239

Enacted 05/01/08

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO STRONGLY URGE ALL RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PERMANENTLY SYNCHRONIZE THE APRIL SCHOOL VACATION WITH THAT OF MASSACHUSETTS’

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Introduced By: Representatives Amaral, Kilmartin, Loughlin, Rose, and Malik

Date Introduced: May 01, 2008

     WHEREAS, Common sense dictates that children’s school vacations should coincide

with the most convenient possible timing for their parents, as they are mutually bound; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island’s scheduling of spring vacation week has no ultimate

guidelines, and often varies from year to year, making it very difficult for parents to preplan or

coordinate a family vacation, particularly if they have children in various school systems; and

     WHEREAS, Massachusetts schedules its April school vacation week to begin each year

with Patriot’s Day. The consistency of the timing provides care-givers with the ability to preplan

child care, vacations and other activities, and since Patriot’s Day is a holiday observed by

Massachusetts, an additional benefit is that it provides Massachusetts’ parents with time off with

their children; and

      WHEREAS, According to the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, 56,680 Rhode

Islanders work in Massachusetts, and many of them are parents with children attending Rhode

Island schools; and

     WHEREAS, This year, the April school vacation in Rhode Island and Massachusetts do

not coincide, with Massachusetts’ vacation week falling one week after Rhode Island’s scheduled

vacation week; and

     WHEREAS, For all those Rhode Islanders working in Massachusetts, the opportunity for

family time during this week is reduced because of the misalignment between the states, and for

Rhode Island parents who work in Massachusetts’ schools or whose children attend

Massachusetts’ schools, it is a logistical and economic nightmare; and

     WHEREAS, Perhaps this mismatch mattered less back when most households had only

one working parent with mom staying home with the children, but today, most children have two

working parents, and many kids live in single-parent households; and

     WHEREAS, Synchronizing spring break between Rhode Island and Massachusetts is

both economically and logistically beneficial for many Ocean State families, as well as for many

of our school’s teachers and staff; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests the Department of Education to urge all

Rhode Island school systems to align spring vacation with that of Massachusetts’ schools; and be

it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution the Rhode Island Department of Education, the

Rhode Island Association of School Superintendents, and the Chair of the School Committee in

each of Rhode Island’s school districts.

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LC02875

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