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Following the recommendation of Superintendent Amy Cashwell and other school system officials, the county’s School Board Thursday voted unanimously to begin the 2021-22 school year after Labor Day.
The board was weighing the idea of switching to a pre-Labor Day start – something school officials had sought to do for years but couldn’t because the so-called “Kings Dominion Law” was in place, requiring school divisions to earn state approval in order to start before the holiday. Henrico had not earned permission to do so, but last year the General Assembly repealed the law, giving all school divisions the right to choose when they start.
But in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on students this summer, and in part because Henrico is opening three updated versions of schools next year, board members opted for a post-Labor Day start at least for one more year.
The pandemic means that many families won’t be able to enjoy normal summers, and board members didn’t want to cut into next summer by starting the following school year earlier than normal.
With new editions of Highland Springs and Tucker high schools slated to open by Sept. 8, 2021, along with a twice-as-large version of Holladay Elementary, officials were hesitant to recommend an earlier start date, since the projects are operating on accelerated timelines already.
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