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Jordan: a missouri bill that would ban schools from starting earlier than two weeks before the first monday in september has passed the house and moved on to the senate.

As koam's kate kelley tells us not everyone thinks it's a good idea.

Darnell jennings is a father of four young children, all big fans of summer and time off from school.

"we go swimming, to the park, aquarium, we even take trips to the baseball game, you know, just a variety of things."

Jennings hopes future summers with his children will be even longer and filled with more activities as he awaits the outcome of a missouri bill that would prohibit schools from starting earlier than 14 days before the first monday in september.

"i think it's a good idea because the kids get to have a little extra fun for the summer and it does bring a little more revenue to the towns, so i think it's a plus for both sides."

While the tourism industry is backing the bill, school officials like superintendent steve hubbard have concerns.

"they're trying to stretch out that season and we get that.

However, districts have long-time been able to mandate their calendars and be able to run their own schedules so that's going to be a difficult transition if that comes to be."

Like many districts, diamond goes back to school around august 15-th, but with testing, summer school and other activities to fit into the year, hubbard warns a later start date means a later end date.

"it just doesn't affect september and august, it'll affect may and june as well.

So, i think that big picture is just what everybody has some concerns over."

For parents like jennings, though, a longer summer just means more time to educate his kids one-on-one.

"even if they do got two extra weeks out of school for the summer, you'll have two extra weeks to teach them something yourself so i think it's a good thing."

In diamond, and joplin, kate kelley, koam news.

Jordan: there are more than five hundred school districts in the state of missouri that would be impacted