House passes bill allowing schools to start before Labor Day in Virginia

(AP) – Virginia’s Republican-controlled House has passed a measure that would allow schools to start before Labor Day.

Republican Del. Roxanne Robinson’s bill was approved with a 76-21 vote on Monday. It now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate.
    
The measure would remove the requirement that school start after Labor Day and allow local boards to set their own calendars. It would also require schools that do choose to start early to close for the long Labor Day weekend.
    
Several similar measures have been proposed in the past but have failed amid opposition from retailers and tourism groups that say allowing schools to start early would hurt their businesses.