Military families say they suffer when school starts early!

"I am proud that North Carolina is the most military-friendly state in America."	Governor Mike Easley (source link)
"North Carolina is dedicated to easing the burdens that our military families may face as a result of their valued service to our state. We take pride in these men and women and in the sacrifices that they make to serve and protect our country."	Senator Tony Rand, 6/1/06 (source link)
"North Carolina is home to five military bases, all located in eastern North Carolina. The state boasts the third-largest active military population in the country, and the bases employ more than 150,000 military and civilian workers who contribute more than $10 billion a year to the state’s economy."	Press release from the U.S. House of Representatives, 1/26/2005 (source link)
"It is not unusual for the armed forces to move their personnel every three years."	America's Military Population, from The Population Bulletin, 12/2004 (source link [p. 7])

(April 9, 2007) As if the pressures on military families aren't enough, North Carolina's General Assembly is poised to implement a law to lower quality of life and induce more stress for this significant population group.

That's what military families...particularly parents who are left on the home front while spouses are deployed overseas...have told SOS-NC will happen if school start dates move back. And that's what HB 359 will permit.

We'll be disclosing more information as this story unfolds, but for now, we'll share a few hardships/concerns that have been submitted to us...and ones, we'll be honest, we had not even considered:

• Military families are subject to a nomadic existence that often finds them relocated far from their original states and families. Summers have been one time that they can count on to plan and execute extended visits. Having this time chopped down makes this difficult. So does the fact that the summer vacation for North Carolina's school children can vary so much from most other states that consistently have a school year that begins around Labor Day.
• Many "yearly" deployments allow for a two-week leave in the summer...and it's impossible for all of these leaves to occur the tight window that NC school boards and administrators insist is essential for their systems to operate. Thus, some military families must make the "Sophie's Choice" of not enrolling their children for the early start (which causes them to be behind when they do enter) or curtailing the time that children can spend with the parent who will soon be redeployed.
• Military families typically relocate during the summer, and moving in or out of North Carolina presents special challenges when school begins in late July or early August . As one military mom put it: "June is when the moving trucks pull up and August is when they deliver! Summer is our only chance to visit faraway families and get reoriented in new communities." Because North Carolina is one of the very few states that seems driven to get students back into their desks early, it makes synchronization nearly impossible.