Hogan orders Maryland public schools to start after Labor Day, sparking political fight

Gov. Larry Hogan defied school leaders across Maryland on Wednesday with an executive order directing them to delay the start of classes next year until after Labor Day — and wrap up by June 15.

Holding the order aloft on the boardwalk of this beachside resort town, the Republican governor said the "long overdue" mandate "will help protect the traditional end of summer."

"School after Labor Day is now the law of the land in Maryland," he said.

The move drew immediate condemnation from education leaders — who have opposed such a mandate in the past — and the Democrats who control the General Assembly.

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