INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT START DATE

House Bill 5977

Sponsor:  Rep. John Moolenaar

Committee:  Education

Complete to 5-16-06

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5977 AS INTRODUCED 4-25-06

House Bill 5977 would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1284b) to allow an exception to the post-Labor Day starting date requirement for intermediate school districts.  The bill would allow an ISD to provide programs and services to a school district or a public school academy according to the calendar of the local school district or PSA, if the local district or academy begins its school year before Labor Day.

Currently under the law, the students in all school districts and charter schools cannot be required to begin a school year before Labor Day (which falls on the first Monday in September). However, the law allows exceptions to this rule if a district operates a year-round school, or an international baccalaureate academy providing 1,160 hours of instruction each school year, or, initially, if a collective bargaining contract was in effect that stipulated otherwise.

House Bill 5977 modifies the law in two ways.  First, it would require that a school district's public school academy's school year not begin before Labor Day (rather than stipulating that pupils cannot be required to begin their school year before Labor Day).

Second, House Bill 5977 specifies that an ISD could provide programs or services according to a constituent school district's or a charter school's calendar if the school year began before Labor Day for any of the reasons cited above.  Under the bill, an earlier ISD start would be allowed if an intermediate district 1) contracted with an early starting constituent school district or charter school to provide programs or services; 2) operated a program or service within a building owned by an early starting constituent district or charter school located within the ISD boundaries; or 3) otherwise provided instructional programs or services for students of an early starting constituent district or charter school.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mary Ann Cleary

                                                                                                                           Bethany Wicksall

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