12th District Senator Brad Hawkins Sponsors Education Focused Bill to Address ‘Learning Loss’

12th District Senator Brad Hawkins and 41st District Senator Lisa Wellman are sponsoring Senate Bill 5147 with the goal to address student learning loss by exploring alternative school calendars.

The bill would provide 50 school districts the option to voluntarily participate in year round school to test the feasibility of a statewide update to school calendars.

"Reforms to the traditional school calendar, in my opinion, are much needed," said Senator Hawkins. "We have roughly 295 different school districts in our state, but they mostly all use an archaic school calendar, largely passed on a society long ago."

Hawkins cites a time period when farming periods needed their children to take long summer breaks to assist on the farm. He notes in this time period, that no longer makes sense.

Hawkins is a ranking Republican member of the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Committee and Wellman is the chair.