Sec. 1284b.

(1) Until subsection (2) applies to the school district, public school academy, or intermediate school district, the board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall ensure that the district's or public school academy's schools are not in session on the Friday before Labor day.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall ensure that the district's or public school academy's school year does not begin before Labor day.

(3) If a collective bargaining agreement that provides a complete school calendar is in effect for employees of a school district, public school academy, or intermediate school district as of the effective date of the amendatory act that added subsection (2), and if that school calendar is not in compliance with subsection (2), then subsection (2) does not apply to that school district, public school academy, or intermediate school district until after the expiration of that collective bargaining agreement.

(4) If a school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy is operating a year-round school or program as of September 29, 2005 or is operating as of that date 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 a school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy begins operating a year-round school or program after September 29, 2005, the school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy may apply to the superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the requirements of subsection (2). 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, 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.

(5) If an intermediate school district contracts with a constituent district or public school academy to provide programs or services for pupils of the constituent district or public school academy; operates a program or service within a building owned by a constituent district or a public school academy located within the intermediate school district's boundaries; or otherwise provides instructional programs or services for pupils of a constituent district or public school academy, and if the school district's or public school academy's school year begins before Labor day under subsection (3) or (4), then the intermediate school district may provide programs or services according to the school district's or public school academy's calendar.

(6) 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.

(7) This section does not prohibit a school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy from offering or requiring professional development for its personnel that is conducted before Labor day.

(8) As used in this section, "Labor day" means the first Monday in September.

History: Add. 1999, Act 141, Eff. Mar. 10, 2000 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 167, Imd. Eff. Nov. 26, 2001 ;-- Am. 2005, Act 144, Imd. Eff. Sept. 29, 2005 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 235, Imd. Eff. June 26, 2006 Popular Name: Act 451