Pre-Labor Day start for schools accommodating new law

To comply with a new state law that added five extra school days to the calendar year, some districts have opted to start school before Labor Day.

Oak Park is one of the school districts in the metro area that is beginning school on Tuesday, August 30.

Back in June, the new mandate adding more time to the school calendar came down from the Michigan Department of Education.

A department of education spokesperson told FOX 2 that 1,090 hours of instruction used to be required per school year, or about 175 days. In the 2016-2017 school year, that number has increased to 180 days.

Schools were still able to decide when the school year starts and stops as long as the required days are met.

Schools could request a waiver to start before Labor Day, otherwise would have to trim vacation breaks or add days at the end of the year. State officials reportedly have granted 53 waivers.