A Union County woman, who is a business owner and parent to a public school student, is now suing the school board concerning the newly approved 2023-24 academic calendar.
The new calendar, approved in an unanimous vote, will set the first day of school as Wednesday, August 9. The 2023-24 school year would then end on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
Dominique Morrison, who owns Honeysuckle Farms Riding Academy LLC, is now a named plaintiff in a suit, urging the court to void the calendar and keep the school board from instilling a similar one for 2023-24.
Parents, business sue UCPS over 2023-24 academic calendar
Approved calendar violates existing state law
Business, parents claim the new calendar negatively impacts business and family plans
Francis Ward, described as a parent in the lawsuit, is listed as a co-plaintiff.
The lawsuit claims, “The [Union County Public Schools] Board adopted this calendar in intentional violation of the law and in violation of their oath of office to uphold the laws of this State. The action of the Board’s members could even constitute a criminal misdemeanor which may subject them to removal from office.”
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Union County by attorney J. Mitchell Armbruster, who gives a Raleigh office address.
The approved start of school date, August 9, which is roughly three weeks earlier than usual, has proven controversial with parents who say it disrupts already planned summer activities in 2023 and shortens the summer for students.
Also, the new date runs in conflict with existing state statute, which says school start dates are supposed to be the Monday closest to August 26.
When the calendar was approved, Spectrum News 1 interviewed Morrison, who said she would lose thousands of dollars in canceled summer camps due to the earlier date.
“I had set my camp backs. I had gotten deposits for these camp dates in August, and now I have parents saying, ‘We have to go to school,'” Morrison said at the time. “Therefore, I lost a couple thousand dollars yesterday, just alone, in people backing out.”
Morrison told Spectrum News 1 during the interview she would have to cut the number of 2023 summer camps from 11 to 7, costing her at least $30,000.
Meanwhile, other parents, specifically those with high school students, said the new calendar would be helpful and was a welcome change.
The lawsuit asks the court to issue a declaratory judgment deeming the approved calendar illegal and invalid. It also asks the court to block the board from enforcing the already approved calendar or adopting a similar one, which violates state law as it relates to the approved start date.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to Union County Public Schools, the UCPS board chair and vice chair, as well as the filing attorney for comment on the lawsuit.
A UCPS spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday.
“My clients hope the Union County School Board will consider our complaint and rescind the illegal calendar that was approved in December. Their calendar directly violates state law and creates uncertainty for Union County parents and local businesses,” Armbruster wrote in a statement to Spectrum News 1.
