Start school after Labor Day in Ohio

Labor Day means many things.It's a three-day weekend for workers, and a holiday to celebrate people who work hard to contribute to the economy and the country. It's the unofficial end of summer. It's a signal that fall is coming, and Halloween will be here soon. But it could also be a final big boost for an important part of Ohio's economy — tourism — if only we could get state lawmakers to act.As part of the local events held in April in conjunction with Gov. John Kasich's visit to Sandusky to deliver his State of the State address, tourism leaders met at the Sandusky Yacht Club to discuss the economic impact of the state's tourism industry.Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet, who has continued the legacy of former CEO Richard Kinzel by investing in new Cedar Point projects in Sandusky, was given a few minutes to speak.Ouimet said Ohio ought to commit to having schools start after Labor Day. That's what Michigan has done, and that allows Cedar Point to have a longer summer, Ouimet said.If Ohio decided to do that, it would also be following in the footsteps of Virginia, where because of a state law, most schools start after Labor Day. The law has been dubbed the "Kings Dominion Law," after the amusement park, owned by Cedar Fair, located in Doswell, Va., about 20 miles north of Richmond.Kings Dominion also is in Hanover County, and I spoke with E. Linwood Thomas IV, director of Hanover County Economic Development, about what the law has meant for tourism in his area and for Virginia as a whole."I definitely think the law has helped the tourism industry," Thomas told me. "Those extra few weeks help generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the commonwealth." King's Dominion generates $1.2 million a year in tax revenues. "It also helps other tourism related industries, not just amusement parks," he said.Thomas said he wouldn't favor delaying the start of the school year any later."I am a strong proponent of education," he said.But he said critics of the law have not been able to offer any evidence that a slight delay harms public schools. Attempts to repeal the law have pitted education lobbyists against the amusement park industry.So far, it appears that the law is in good shape, he said. I mentioned at the beginning of this column that Labor Day has different meanings for different people.The holiday weekend also is the unofficial start of the football season, and every football fan knows that a smart offense "takes" what the defense "gives."Ohio has been given a robust tourist industry, thanks not only to Lake Erie, but to Cedar Fair leaders such as Kinzel and Ouimet.Why not take advantage of the strength of a key part of our economy, and take the opportunity to give it a boost? Editor's note: Today's Viewpoint was written by reporter Tom Jackson.Media and thrill seekers gather at Cedar Point on Wednesday, August 16, 2017 for the park's Frontier Town Hootenanny to reveal Steel Vengeance, a new roller coaster to debut in 2018.