No Early Release Wednesdays at L'Anse Creuse Schools: Key Dates

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI — The L’Anse Creuse school district is eliminating 34 early release Wednesdays to conform with state requirement that nine school days be added to the 2016-2017 calendar to provide 180 days of instruction, up from 175 days last year.

The calendar is one of the issues resolved in the yet-to-be ratified tentative agreement between L'Anse Creuse Public Schools and the teachers union, Kelly Allen, the school district's director of public and community relations, told The Macomb Daily.

School starts Tuesday, Sept. 6, and classes will be in session for a half day. Here are other key dates from the district's website:

• No school on Election Day, Nov. 8.
• Thanksgiving break begins after a half day on Nov. 23 and resumes on Nov. 28.
• Winter break begins after a half day on Dec. 21 and resumes Jan. 4.
• Mid-winter break begins after a half day on Feb. 17 and resumes on Feb. 21.
• Spring Break begins at the end of the day on March 31 and resumes April 10.
• Easter weekend begins end of day April 13 and school resumes on April 17.
• Memorial Day weekend begins after a half day on May 26. School resumes May 30.
• The last day of school is a half day on June 14.
• Wednesdays will no longer be an early release, but there will be an increase in half days throughout the year. Eight of the days (replacing the 34 early-release Wednesdays) are for professional development; the remaining half days associated with breaks were added to meet the increased day and minute requirements by the state without extending the school year into late June; the remaining half days are associated with breaks, exams, the end of a marking period or records days.

“When the school year calendar was agreed upon in early summer or late spring we made sure to send to all parents via SchoolMessenger the specific important changes they needed to know,” Allen said.

• All elementary schools in the L’Anse Creuse district, with the exception of Donald J. Yacks Elementary School in Harrison Township, will be in session from 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. At Yacks, school is in session from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Middle school students are in session from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
• High school students are in session from 7:15 a.m.-2:20 p.m.
• The Frederick V. Pankow Center in Clinton Township and the DiAnne M. Pellerin Center in Clinton Township are in session from 7:30 a.m.-2:05 p.m.