WAIVE MINIMUM DAYS OF INSTRUCTION
House Bill 4398
Sponsor: Rep. Ron Jelinek
Committee: Education
Complete to 3-14-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4398 AS INTRODUCED 3-6-01
The bill would amend the State School Aid Act of 1979 to waive the minimum days of instruction for a current school year by allowing a district to use accumulated 'snow days' that the district had carried over from the three preceding school years.
Specifically, the bill specifies that if, over the three years immediately preceding the current school year, a district counted as days of pupil instruction less than the maximum number of days allowed to be counted for that entire three-year period as days of pupil instruction under the severe storm provision, the district could count one or more of those unused days, up to that maximum, as a day of pupil instruction for the current school year, but only for a day when pupil instruction was not provided due to conditions outside the control of school authorities, as specified in the law.
Under the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1284), public schools are required to offer a certain number of days and hours of pupil instruction in order to be eligible for state aid. For many years, the minimum number of school days in Michigan was 180. However, over a ten-year period that began in the fall of 1997 and will end in the fall of 2006, the minimum number of school days will increase to 190, as one day is added each year. The number of instructional hours also increases over the ten years, from 900 to 1,140. For example, 1,104 hours of instruction are required during the 2000-2001 school year; 1,110 hours during the 2001-2002 school year; 1,116 hours for the 2002-2003 school year; 1,122 hours for the 2003-2004 school year, 1,128 hours for the 2004-2005 school year; 1,134 hours for the 2005-2006 school year; and, 1,140 hours for the 2006-2007 school year and beyond.
However, under the State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1701), a two-day grace period is provided. This act provides that each district must provide for "at least 180 days of pupil instruction and a number of hours of pupil instruction at least equal to the required minimum number of hours required for 2000-2001 under section 1284 of the Revised School Code." The grace period that is allowed under the State School Aid Act is described as "the first two days for which pupil instruction is not provided because of conditions not within the control of school authorities, such as severe storms, fires, epidemic, or health considerations," and the act specifies that the two days "shall be
counted as days of pupil instruction," although subsequent days that school is closed because of these conditions are not counted. In such instances, the school year is extended in order that school aid not be reduced.
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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.