COLUMBIA, S.C. - Tourism industry leaders hope schools will start later now that Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum has pledged the state's high-stakes test will be given later in the school year.

Tenenbaum sent a letter to lawmakers Thursday, promising the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test would be held the second week in May for the 2004-2005 school year.

The move should help end the controversial issue of establishing a uniform start date for schools, which has been debated the past two years in the Legislature.

School districts say they want control over starting earlier in August to give students more time to prepare for the PACT, which has been held the last week in April or the first week in May.

The tourism industry wants schools to open closer to Labor Day to preserve the summer season.

Last December, the state Education Board attempted to resolve the issue by requiring all schools to start around Labor Day. But that prompted lawmakers to file a flurry of local legislation to keep school districts in control of their calendars.

Many of those bills still are pending with three days left in the session.

Sen. Luke Rankin, D-Myrtle Beach, also included a measure in the state budget bill to move the PACT test.

Tenenbaum's written promise is part of an agreement with Rankin to remove the PACT provision from the budget.

"This will be the carrot that will lead the school districts to listen to the parents and the teachers about starting the school calendar later," Rankin said.

The Education Board also may reconsider the uniform start state, which is set to start the 2004-2005 school year, now that the PACT test has been moved.

Tenenbaum's letter came "in the spirit of trying to work with all parties involved," including the tourism industry, schools and lawmakers, said Molly Spearman, the Education Department's legislative liaison.

"It is a big step in the right direction," Horry County Schools Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait said.

The change would be advantageous for the district, she said. "It would give us more days to instruct our students before administration of the PACT."

South Carolina Hospitality Association President Tom Sponseller said his members prefer the original Board of Education rule that requires all schools to start near Labor Day but that "the PACT test aggravates the problem," so moving it is important.