SCHOOL CALENDAR

House Bill 5157 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Pamela Hornberger

Committee:  Education Reform

Complete to 10-25-17

SUMMARY:

House Bill 5157 would amend the school calendar allowed at the beginning of the school year under the Revised School Code.

Currently, schools may not begin before Labor Day unless one of the following applies:

·         The district, intermediate school district (ISD), or public school academy (PSA, or charter school) secures a waiver from the superintendent of public instruction.  A school district, ISD, or PSA may apply for a waiver if it operates a year-round school or program, or an international baccalaureate academy that provides 1,160 hours of pupil instruction.  (Even with waivers, these schools may not be in session on the Friday before Labor Day under current law.)

·         The district, ISD, or PSA’s collective bargaining agreement provides a school calendar.    (While existing collective bargaining agreements that include school calendars are in effect, the law provides only that a district’s or PSA’s schools not be in session on the Friday before Labor Day.  As those agreements expire, the prohibition on beginning before Labor Day applies.) 

The bill would replace the prohibition on a pre-Labor Day start—with the two above exceptions—with a provision that a district’s or PSA’s schools may not be in session on the Friday before Labor Day and may not be in session on any Monday or Friday in August, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.  

MCL 380.1284b

BACKGROUND:

           

Reportedly, at least 99 Michigan school districts and charter schools, as well as 24 ISDs, obtained waivers and were able to start the school year before Labor Day in the 2017-2018 school year.[1]  The 24 ISDs include 253 individual school districts that can opt to use the waiver to begin school in August.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the state or local units of government.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Jenny McInerney

                                                                                               Fiscal Analysts:   Bethany Wicksall

                                                                                                                           Samuel Christensen

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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