NO SCHOOL ON LABOR DAY - S.B. 300 (S-3): FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 300 (Substitute S-3 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor: Senator Walter H. North

Committee: Education

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to provide that for the 1998-99, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 school years, the board of a school district, local act school district, public school academy, or intermediate school district would have to ensure that the district's or academy's schools were not in session on the Friday before Labor Day. The bill would define "Labor Day" as the first Monday in September.

The bill also would require the creation of a seven-member school calendar task force to study the economic and educational impact of requiring public schools not to be in session on the Friday before Labor Day, as well as the educational and economic impact of requiring public schools to begin the school year after Labor Day. The task force would have to report its findings to the Legislature and the Governor by December 31, 1999. The task force would be created as a temporary commission, as described in Article V Section 4 of the State Constitution (which permits temporary commissions or agencies for special purposes with a life of no more than two years to be established by law).

Members of the task force would have to be appointed by July 1, 1998. The task force would be subject to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. The Department of Education and the Michigan Jobs Commission would have to provide staffing and other resources for the task force, as it reasonably requested.

Proposed MCL 380.1284b - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State government. The support of the task force could be provided from existing State funds. A school district with an established calendar, however, could incur additional costs in changing its schedule to conform to the bill.

Date Completed: 12-10-97 - Fiscal Analyst: E. Pratt

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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.