After years of lobbying, Wisconsin’s tourism industry is likely to succeed in its efforts to start the school year later in the summer – on Sept. 1 or after.

Local school district officials are scrambling to deal with the change. Tourism industry leaders say the September school year start will both extend Wisconsin’s summer vacation season and also help relieve the industry’s labor shortages because local students will be available for another week or so in tourist areas.

Local school districts are grappling with how to comply with a provision in the new state budget which awaits a final signature by Gov. Scott McCallum. The measure calls for all 426 of Wisconsin’s school districts to start school no earlier than Sept. 1 beginning with the 2002-2003 school year unless they can prove exceptional circumstances.