REPEAL INSTRUCTIONAL

CALENDAR REQUIREMENTS

House Bill 4368 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Pamela Hornberger

House Bill 4369 (proposed substitute H-1)

Sponsor:  Rep. Pamela Hornberger

Committee:  Education Reform

Complete to 4-8-19

SUMMARY:

House Bills 4368 and 4369 would together repeal three sections of the State School Aid Act and the Revised School Code regarding the school calendar and Labor Day waivers.

Currently, section 1284a of the Revised School Code requires intermediate school districts (ISDs), in cooperation with their constituent districts, to adopt a common school calendar that applies to all constituent districts and the ISD’s programs. Districts must then comply with the ISD-wide calendar when scheduling winter and spring breaks.

Further, section 1284b prohibits the instructional calendar year from beginning before Labor Day (unless the district is granted a waiver for a qualifying reason by the state superintendent of public instruction).

House Bill 4369 would repeal sections 1284a and 1284b, effectively removing the          ISD-wide common calendar requirement (and allowing districts to create their own instructional calendars) as well as the prohibition on beginning the instructional calendar before Labor Day.

Section 160 of the State School Aid Act requires a district or ISD requesting a waiver to use a portion of its funding under the Act to conduct a joint public hearing with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).  That hearing must be held before a waiver can be granted.  

House Bill 4368 would repeal that requirement.

House Bill 4368: MCL 388.1760 (repealed)

House Bill 4369: MCL 380.1284a and 380.1284b (repealed)

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bills would have no fiscal impact on the state, but there could be an indeterminate, but likely minimal, impact for districts, intermediate school districts (ISDs), and public school academies (PSAs).

Districts, ISDs, and PSAs that submit a waiver to MDE to begin before Labor Day and hold a hearing would realize reduced administrative costs by removing those requirements.

Districts could incur increased administrative costs to set their own school calendar, and ISDs would realize reduced administrative costs since they would no longer be required to set a common school calendar in cooperation with their constituent districts.

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Jenny McInerney

                                                                                               Fiscal Analysts:   Samuel Christensen

                                                                                                                           Jacqueline Mullen

■ 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.