Iowa high school students returned to school after an extensive winter break, facing a mountain of assignments, tests and finals, as schools are required to finish out the first semester after the mid-year break.
In 2015, former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad passed legislation requiring all Iowa public schools to start no sooner than Aug. 23. This date is important as it is the latest date the Iowa State Fair can possibly end. When current Governor Kim Reynolds took office in 2017, she stated she would not be taking initiative to change the legislation.
The 11-day Iowa State Fair holds a significance of tradition and pride for many Iowans. For legislatures, it represents a key contributor to Iowa’s economic production each year. In 2024, the fair had an economic output of $172 million and a personal income growth of $97 million, making it a large economic asset for the state. The monetary value of the fair explains why the legislatures have put no effort into changing its schedule despite the repercussions for Iowa students.
Due to the delayed commencement of the school year, the state-mandated 90-day semester falls in January, after the conventional winter break. For elementary and junior high students, this has little impact. However, the schedule leaves high school students with a steep uphill battle upon returning from the break. All of this could be prevented if the 2015 legislation was altered. “I feel like it is super frustrating that we are expected to remember all the material from the semester over break since we have to come back and take finals after break. It is even more frustrating knowing that it is all because of the state doing it for money purposes,” said senior Olivia Hoskins.
This year, some members of the math department took matters into their own hands, giving their semester exam before the winter break. Many pre-calculus students found this as a large advantage. “I really enjoyed getting to take the final before the break. I did well on the final and I truly believe I would have done worse if I had those two weeks over break to forget all the material. I think more teachers and classes should work towards changing their finals to before break,” junior Ashley Hansen said.
Despite the academic challenge of taking exams after a break, the impact on students’ mental health should also be considered. By holding finals after winter break, students may feel like they don’t truly get a break from the academic year. “No matter how hard I try to relax and forget about anything school related, I felt like I really couldn’t as I knew I still had a mountain of work waiting for me when I return. Mentally, I think it would be really beneficial to take finals before break,” Hansen expressed.
All in all, the repercussions from the 2015 legislation fall on high school students who face delays in the start and end of the school year. As a result, finals schedules are pushed back, leading to a lack of an academic break.
