DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa House last week approved a bill that would prevent local school districts from starting classes before the fourth Monday in August, which lawmakers said would give students more time for farm-related activities and vacation.

Supporters of the bill said the move would also boost tourism in the state and make more room for learning experiences outside of the classroom, such as participating in the Iowa State Fair, which is slated this year for Aug. 9-19 in Des Moines.

“I hope all of us here realize that all learning does not go on in a school,” said state Rep. Clel Baudler (R-Greenfield). “I can tell you a kid can learn a whole lot at the end of a rope when the other end is hooked to a 1,250-pound animal.”

By a 54-44 vote, House lawmakers passed the measure that now limits the authority of the Iowa Department of Education to regulate school start dates. It also removes a waiver process that school districts routinely use to move the first day of classes to earlier into August.

Under current Iowa law, school districts cannot start the academic year before Sept. 1 without first applying to the Iowa Department of Education for a waiver that allows for an earlier start date.

Opponents of the new measure said state and local government should stay out of local matters and leave the decision to school administrators.

Shirley Phillips, president of the Travel Federation of Iowa and executive director for Sac Economic and Tourism Development in Sac City in western Iowa, said the issue isn’t commerce versus education, but rather, the income generated from businesses by travelers and visitors to support and pay for education in Iowa.

“We are spending about 60 percent of the state budget on education plus local property tax,” she said in an interview last Friday. “The education folks are the first on the steps of the Capitol each year asking for allowable growth.”

In addition, with increased revenue and taxes from businesses that are allowed to remain open during August, Phillips said Iowa could better support these increases in education.

“The education community harps on local control; we ask for student achievement,” she said. “Both Wisconsin and Minnesota start school after Labor Day, and they have surpassed Iowa in student achievement. The argument that school must start early so students can take semester tests before Christmas vacation dismays me.

“If our students lose that much over Christmas vacation, how much do they lose over spring break? We want a better-educated workforce, so arguing over the fact that two weeks in August when classes are continually dismissed because of heat are more beneficial than going to school until the end of May doesn’t make sense.”

Phillips said some school districts are even talking about starting on Aug. 9 this year. “Let’s give the existing Iowa law a chance and do away with the waiver process,” she said. “This past year, 346 of 351 school districts asked for a waiver. For the coming year, only four are not asking for a waiver.”

In his weekly press conference on April 9, Gov. Terry Branstad said he’s considering asking the Iowa Department of Education to discontinue the waiver process, which currently allows the early start date. “If the legislature fails to act, I think that might be something that we would seriously look at,” he said.

The bill is now working its way to the Iowa Senate for final approval.