Carole Smith 2014 by SYL

Carole Smith, shown making a presentation to the school board in 2014, feels strongly that the school year should start a week before Labor Day to give Portland students more learning time before important tests.

(Stephanie Yao Long / The Oregonian)

Contrary to the recommendation of her calendar-planning committee, Portland Superintendent Carole Smith says school should start before Labor Day again this year.

The Portland school board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on Smith's recommendation that students' first day of school be August 29, a full week before Labor Day.

Giving students more time in class before they take tests including Advanced Placement exams, SATs and Smarter Balanced tests is Smith's No. 1 reason for the early start.

"Oregon has one of the shortest school years in the country," Smith wrote in a memo to board members, explaining her choice. "Students in Washington receive an additional year of instruction over the course of their K-12 education. With our students already at a disadvantage for instructional time, additional instructional days before exams is one small mitigating step Portland Public Schools can take."

She took that stand even though the overwhelming majority of teachers and other school employees on her large calendar advisory panel said they favor starting after Labor Day. Only two members -- one representing a coalition of high school parents and Cleveland High Principal Tammy O'Neill -- strongly favored the earlier start, citing benefits for students.

A leader of the Portland Association of Teachers reported that union members were polled and, of those who responded, 80 percent favor the later start while only 8 percent supported a pre-Labor Day start and the rest did not express a preference.

Labor Day was once a sacrosanct barrier before which Oregon schools did not hold classes. But the fact that Labor Day didn't fall until Sept. 7 last year, and that Portland added two more teaching days to the school year, prompted Portland Public Schools to start this school year the Thursday before Labor Day. Many area districts, including Lake Oswego, West Linn and Forest Grove, followed suit.

Some Portland families were upset by the change, which altered family traditions and shortened the summer break. Some complained that it would be too hot for students stuck in Portland's mostly un-air-conditioned schools, but the weather turned out to be mild in late August.

Some Portland educators and parents think an early start will go more smoothly this year, since it's happened once already and this year's summer vacation begins earlier than usual, on June 10. Others are riled up about teachers and students being back in class in August.

Most other large school districts plan to start after Labor Day this fall, just as they did last year. Several have yet to decide.

-- Betsy Hammond

betsyhammond@oregonian.com

@chalkup