Students are going back to school in just a few weeks, and if one Manatee County school board member has his way they won't be turning in any homework.

"I hate to see 8- or 9-year-olds who already hate school because it's such a high pressure environment," said board member Charlie Kennedy.

Marion County Superintendent Heidi Maier recently implemented a no homework policy for elementary school students, and Kennedy jumped on board with the idea.

"We educate kids in Florida under what is already a very high stress environment with the importance of test scores and school grades," Kennedy said. "Teachers feel that pressure and that pressure gets put on the students."

Child psychiatrist Dr. Christina De Guia describes it as stress that gets trickled down.

"The struggles where teachers and parents have with getting the kids to get their homework done, fights at home over it, less time spending quality time together," she said. "In a way I think it could be a good thing to eliminate that in the schools."

The no homework policy does not mean students should do nothing after school, but it can be switched out for something else. The idea starts with elementary schools in the county hoping to bring students and parents closer together at home.

"You know, reading on a daily basis with a parent or a family member has much more positive outcomes for education than does just daily homework," Kennedy said.

Kennedy plans to bring up the idea at the next school board workshop.

The Manatee school district as a whole has not stated its position on Marion County's decision.