Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ewen — The districts that make up the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District may be starting classes earlier next year as GOISD officials applied this week for a state waiver to begin classes before Labor Day.
GOISD Superintendent Bruce Mayle told the Daily Globe he applied for the waiver Monday and expects to hear a response in the coming days.
The earlier start date was something the GOISD considered last year, according to Mayle, but not all six member schools were on board.
“Last year when I brought it to our board, our conditions were that 100 percent of the districts had to be in before we’d support that as well, because of the shared programming we do with everybody,” Mayle said.
A state law passed in 2005 mandates districts start school after Labor Day, but allows a waiver for certain conditions.
One of the exceptions can be for districts that have certain programs with their local colleges to allow the academic calendars to sync up.
“We do have an early middle college program in (Career and Technical Education),” Mayle said.
The program allows “students entering their junior year of high school (to) have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, a significant number of college credits and possibly an associate degree over three years,” Mayle wrote in the Daily Globe’s 2016 Education Progress section.
If the GOISD is allowed to move forward with the early start waiver, Mayle said it must hold public hearings as part of the process. This would likely take place in April.
The exact start date the district would start school next fall if the waiver is granted is still being determined.
Labor Day is Sept. 2 this year.
