DALLAS — A North Texas lawmaker wants to bring back an old idea to help ease the strain on the state’s power grid.
Republican state Representative Jared Patterson tells us he will introduce a bill next session that would delay the start of school until September, arguing that previous generations had it right with the first day of school coming after Labor Day.
“We cool down some of the largest buildings in most communities across the state of Texas during the hottest month of the year, which costs more money, puts more of a strain on the grid, and in addition to that, you’ve got kids playing on playground equipment that’s too hot to touch. You’ve got football players and band members practicing in excruciating heat,” Rep. Patterson, R-Frisco, said on Inside Texas Politics.
Rep. Patterson has three children in Frisco public schools and says he’s talked to many other parents about his idea, and most support it.
He expects similar, bipartisan support from lawmakers when they return to Austin in January.
School choice will also be a major issue before lawmakers.
During the last legislative session, the Texas House considered a bill that would have allowed a limited school voucher program while providing significant funding to public schools, including raising the per-student allotment provided by the state and raising teacher pay. But once the voucher program was removed from the bill, the legislation died.
Rep. Patterson expects any new legislation to start there.
“That’s, probably, where we’re going to pick up now with how do we better fund our public schools, how do we better protect our teachers and their funding, but also, how do we give those students the opportunity to choose a different system if that’s what they need for their families,” the Republican told us.