JACKSON (TNS) — Mississippi public school students would have 10 more days of summer under legislation approved via a voice vote Thursday by the House Education Committee.

The legislation, which now will go to the full House for consideration, reduces the number of days students are attending school from 180 to 170.

Rep. Jeffrey Guice, R-Ocean Springs, told Education Committee members one reason to reduce the number of school days is to avoid having school during the really hot period of the summer.

“It allows school districts to get closer to that Sept. 1” starting day that parents always request, said House Education Committee Chair John Moore, R-Brandon.

But state Superintendent Carey Wright, who attended the meeting, said she opposes reducing the number of required classroom days.

She said for many students, the need is for more summer programs and extended days.

The Education Committee justified the decision to reduce the number of school days by decreasing the number of days where standardized testing can be given.

Moore said currently such testing is occurring between 50 and 60 days per year, and the House Education Committee reduced that to a maximum of 20.

But others say tests do not occur during that number of days and the state Department of Education only mandates up to three days of testing.

But because of limited resources, such as computers to test large number of students, the tests are often spread out, meaning one group might be taking the test and another group in the same school would be doing regular classwork.

As part of the same process, the Education Committee rejected a proposal by Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes to make kindergarten mandatory. Current law is that compulsory school attendance begins with the first grade.