SCHOOL BEFORE LABOR DAY S.B. 567:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 567 (as introduced 10-15-15)
Sponsor: Senator Marty Knollenberg
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to eliminate a requirement that a district or public school academy (PSA) not begin the school year before Labor Day, subject to exceptions; and require that schools not be in session on the Friday before Labor Day.
The Code requires the board of a school district or intermediate school district (ISD) or board of directors of a PSA to ensure that the district's or PSA's school year does not begin before Labor Day (the first Monday of September). If a school district, ISD, or PSA began operating a year-round school or program after September 29, 2005, it may apply to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a waiver from the requirement. In addition, the requirement does not apply to a public school that operates all of grades 6 to 12 at a single site, aligns its high school curriculum with advanced placement courses as a capstone of the curriculum, and ends its second academic semester concurrently with the end of the advanced placement examination period.
Under the bill, the requirement not to begin the school year and the related exceptions would be eliminated; the board of a school district or ISD or board of directors of a PSA would have to ensure that the district's or PSA's schools were not in session on the Friday before Labor Day.
MCL 380.1284b Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would result in minimal administrative savings to the State and some local education authorities (school districts and public school academies). The cost savings at the State level would result from removing the process for the State Superintendent to grant waivers to districts that have program needs requiring the school year to start before Labor Day. The cost of the waiver process is currently unknown since it is not identified within existing Superintendent operations, but the cost likely is minimal. The minimal cost savings also would occur for schools that require a waiver under current law.
Local education authorities would experience no other impact overall as a result of the bill since it would not impose any new requirements that would result in additional savings or costs. However, the flexibility to operate schools before Labor Day (with the exception of the Friday before the holiday) could yield some savings to districts if the cost of providing school early were less than at other times of the year (such as at the end of the school year due to excessive snow days).
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.