Tourism industry: Give kids a break; it's good for business

Sunday, 03 December 2006

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - Cedar Point would love it if summer lasted forever.

But since Ohio winters won't cooperate, the amusement park would at least like a few extra vacation days in August for Ohio students.

"We are strongly in support of any legislation in support of schools starting after Labor Day," said John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. "We have supported it historically; it makes sense for families and tourism."

Schools used to begin after Labor Day, but the trend started to change in the late 1970s and early '80s, Hildebrandt said.

"I think it was a combination of wanting to play more football games and longer breaks during the school year. It was kind of a gradual thing."

With the change, Cedar Point began to notice a dip in attendance toward the third week of August when schools started to go back.

"Those weeks were some of the stronger weeks of the year in the past," Hildebrandt said, declining to give out attendance figures.

The Sandusky/Erie County Visitor Convention Bureau is considering whether to push for Ohio schools to begin classes after Labor Day.

Michigan moved the start of school to after Labor Day, improving the state's tourism. Cedar Point saw an increase in traffic as a result.

And Cedar Point would not be the only tourist attraction to benefit.

"We may be an indoor waterpark, but if they are getting ready to go back to school or are in school, it's really not the weather, it's the fact that children are off school," said Maris Brenner, director of sales and marketing for Kalahari.

Brenner said Kalahari supports an initiative to prolong summer.

"The healthier we are as an industry, the better we all are," she said.

When school goes back into session in August, staffing suffers, Brenner said. Many high school students and teachers work at local tourism attractions.

But because Ohio schools determine when they go back to school, it would be up to state lawmakers to enact a law, according to J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.

Schools are required to be in session 910 hours over the course of year, about 180 days. Days off for federal holidays, in-service and inclement weather are also decided locally, Benton said.

Rep. Chris Redfern, D-Catawba Island, introduced legislation one year ago to start school the Tuesday after Labor Day. The legislation only had one hearing because the education community opposed it.

It would force a more-compact school year, Redfern said.

Hildebrandt said Cedar Point wouldn't be affected as much if students got out of school later in June because of starting after Labor Day.

"The weather and everything is better at the end of August than the first week of June," he said.

Also, many of the employees at Cedar Point are college students. Those from The Ohio State University don't go back until the end of September.

Sandusky School Board President Faith Denslow said a calendar is determined every year, but teachers haven't selected the option to go back after Labor Day. Sandusky City Schools started Aug. 30 this year. The last day is June 7.

"It would not surprise me (if) the state would come in and dictate," Denslow said. "We are such a tourist state and not just in the northern section."

School treasurer Troy Bouts said Cedar Point has approached the district about starting school later. But district staff, which has the right to vote on the school calendar, hasn't been interested.

"What we are up against is tradition," Bouts said. "Staff, students and parents are used to having a certain number of days for spring break and Christmas break.

"It's something we need to continue to discuss with Cedar Point being a very important part of our community," he said.

Camille Jourden-Mark, vice president and general manager of Michigan's Adventure, sister park to Cedar Point, said the new state law has made a difference.

"We went from a closed park to an open park that week," Jourden-Mark said of the week before Labor Day when the Muskegon, Mich., park had traditionally closed.

"We were very active pushing for this in Michigan," she said. "Before this went through, I had been working with our chamber of commerce and meeting individuals with schools.

"Even before the state law, schools started to go back after Labor Day," Jourden-Mark said.

Jennifer Poleon, director of communications for the Ohio Travel Association, said state surveys among its membership base indicate they want to follow Michigan's lead.

Tourism is the third largest industry in the state with $33.1 billion brought in during 2005. That year, 172.2 million trips were taken to or within Ohio.

"You have people who are so time deprived today," Poleon said. "You actually want that little bit of extra time."

Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky also wants Ohio schools to start after Labor Day.

"We would definitely be in support of it," said Sarah Wysong-Miller, Great Wolf's director of sales and marketing. "We saw additional rooms from Michigan because they have done that very thing -- start school after Labor Day. Those last two weeks, most Ohio schools were back in school."

FunCoast.com is your online guide to summer fun for Cedar Point, the LakeErie Islands and Sandusky area. Our site offers up-to-date information on area attractions, restaurants, hotels, gasoline prices, ferry schedules, swimming, birding and fishing, along with a complete listing of events happening in the Sandusky/Cedar Point area. To use our Webcam and zoom in on Cedar Point's rollercoasters, go to http://funcam.funcoast.com

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