Friday, March 25, 2011

Extension of the School Year Beyond June 30

For those inquiring minds - what if we did have to go beyond June 30th to complete the school year? The State has an answer.


Extension of the School Year Beyond June 30

DESE, in consultation with the Division of Local Services (DLS), issued the following guidance
regarding possible extension of the school year beyond June 30.


Q: If the school year is extended beyond June 30 in order to comply with the 180-day equirement, may the district pay salaries and costs incurred from the current year's budget?
A: The Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services has advised that the answer is yes. If the school year must be extended beyond June 30 to comply with state law on student learning time, that would extend the scope of the municipality's appropriation for the schools beyond June 30. See Mass. General Laws Chapter 71, Section 40, which provides that the compensation paid teachers is deemed "fully earned at the end of the school year, and proportionately earned during the school year" (emphasis added). Teachers, therefore, could teach school in early July to comply with the 180-day requirement, and any salaries paid would appear on warrants payable for the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

In short, state law permits the school year (and salary payments) to extend beyond June 30 in these circumstances. School officials still should consult with their own legal counsel to determine whether any provisions in collective bargaining agreements or local ordinances would affect the decision to schedule school days after June 30.

This information can be found on Page 2 of the bulletin located here

Franklin, MA

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