Sec. 1284a.
(1) Not later than July 1, 2008, an intermediate school district, in cooperation with its constituent districts, shall adopt a common school calendar to apply to all of its constituent districts and to its intermediate school district programs. The intermediate school district shall post the common school calendar on its website. The common school calendar shall meet all of the following:
(a) Shall be in compliance with sections 1284 and 1284b.
(b) Shall identify the dates for each school year when school will not be in session for a winter holiday break and a spring break. The common school calendar shall identify these dates specifically for at least the next 5 school years, but may describe these dates more generally for school years thereafter as long as the dates may be readily determined.
(2) Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, except as otherwise provided in this section, the board of each constituent district and the intermediate school board shall ensure that its school calendar complies with the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1).
(3) In addition to the requirements under subsection (1), a common school calendar adopted under subsection (1) is encouraged to identify common dates for professional development days.
(4) If a collective bargaining agreement that provides a complete school calendar is in effect for employees of a school district or intermediate school district as of the effective date of this section, and if that school calendar is not in compliance with the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1), then subsection (2) does not apply to that school district or intermediate school district until after the expiration of that collective bargaining agreement.
(5) If as of the effective date of this section an intermediate school district or school district is operating a year-round school or program or is operating a school that is an international baccalaureate academy that provides 1,160 hours of pupil instruction per school year, then subsection (2) does not apply to that school or program. If after the effective date of this section an intermediate school district or school district begins operating a year-round school or program, the intermediate school district or school district may apply to the superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the requirements of subsection (2) for that school or program. The application shall be in writing in the form and manner prescribed by the department and shall provide justification for the school or program to operate on a calendar that differs from the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1). Upon application, if the superintendent of public instruction determines that a school or program is a bona fide year-round school or program established for educational reasons and that there is sufficient justification for the school or program to operate on a calendar that differs from the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1), the superintendent of public instruction shall grant the waiver. The superintendent of public instruction shall establish standards for determining a bona fide year-round school or program for the purposes of this subsection.
(6) If an intermediate school district or school district is operating or begins operating a school or program on a trimester schedule, the intermediate school district or school district may apply to the superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the requirements of subsection (2) for that school or program. The application shall be in writing in the form and manner prescribed by the department and shall provide justification for the school or program to operate on a calendar that differs from the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1). Upon application, if the superintendent of public instruction determines that a school or program is operating on a bona fide trimester schedule established for educational reasons and that there is sufficient justification for the school or program to operate on a calendar that differs from the common school calendar adopted under subsection (1), the superintendent of public instruction shall grant the waiver. The superintendent of public instruction shall establish standards for determining a bona fide trimester schedule for the purposes of this subsection.
(7) This section does not apply to a public school that operates all of grades 6 to 12 at a single site, that aligns its high school curriculum with advanced placement courses as the capstone of the curriculum, and that ends its second academic semester concurrently with the end of the advanced placement examination period.
(8) In addition to the other exceptions under this section, the superintendent of public instruction may grant a waiver from a requirement under this section for a school district that applies for the waiver in writing in the form and manner prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction and provides sufficient justification for the waiver, as determined by the superintendent of public instruction.
(9) As used in this section:
(a) "Board" means the board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy.
(b) "Constituent district" means a constituent district of the intermediate school district or a public school academy that is located within the boundaries of the intermediate school district and that receives services from the intermediate school district.
(c) "School district" means a school district or a public school academy.
History: Add. 2007, Act 101, Imd. Oct. 1, 2007
Last modified: October 10, 2016