Pittsburgh School Superintendent Tackles Absenteeism

29 January 2009 at 9:43 pm dgerard 2 comments

| David Gerard |

Those of you that think that a football is round might not be aware that the Super Bowl is taking place this Sunday, where my hometown Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Arizona Cardinals. Every year brings its own story lines, and among the many questions surrounding this year’s game is: what is your favorite public-choice explanation for why Pittsburgh schools are opening late on Monday?

The Pittsburgh Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay Monday because of the Super Bowl, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said today. Noting that Sunday’s big game means a “late night,” Mr. Roosevelt said the delay should cut down on student and staff absenteeism.

Of course, not all work places are observing the delay, so this will create a few headaches for working parents who don’t happen to be teachers or staff in the Pittsburgh public school system. Perhaps Superintendent Roosevelt thinks parents will already have headaches Monday morning, so the incremental costs will be low.

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2 Comments Add your own

1. John | 30 January 2009 at 7:34 am

I wonder if the Steelers good fortune can offset the lost revenue of area teachers not working that morning and the parents who have to stay home because the schools are otherwise engaged.

At least the increase in sales of alka seltzer tablets might at any rate.
2. Mike Sykuta | 2 February 2009 at 5:19 pm

David, your analysis fails to incorporate the additional costs imposed on parents beyond Pittsburgh whose children were up late enough to hear that their Pittsburgh peers were going to get to sleep in a bit and have a shortened school day. I had to reminder my (celebrating) 11 year old that while he was up an hour or so past his usual bedtime, his Pittsburgh peers were up an hour later given the time difference. Fortunately, he was easily appeased.

I suspect there will be even more perverse incentives when the victory parade/party is held. I expect schools will just shut down for that event. Don’t tell my son.