Michigan School Year Will Be Longer Next Year

...and some people are not happy about it. 

A state mandate was announced yesterday that will add another five days to the statewide school year, putting Michigan on par with other districts all over the country.

Schools can decide how to add the extra time, whether it be another week at the end of the year, or adding time to each school day. The extension will mean 180 days of instruction in 2016-17, up from 175 days from 2013 until now, 170 days in 2012-13 and 165 prior.

A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education says that the time will allow for our schools to be more competitive, but some think it's pointless. Arina Bokas, a former PTA president who has three children in Clarkston schools, doesn't think it will matter. She says that students become tired and unfocused in the early days of summer. “Many schools are not air-conditioned. Any meaningful learning is very doubtful.”

Personally, I'm a fan of the idea of year-round schools, but I think that the lack of air conditioning would be a huge problem. I can tell you that our son has been completely checked out of school for the last few weeks, and he just got out yesterday! What do you think?