The Minneapolis school board has unanimously approved a calendar for the 2009-10 school year that brings students back to class Sept. 1, about a week before Labor Day.
State law prohibits schools from starting before Labor Day except under special circumstances. Minneapolis plans to petition the state Department of Education for a waiver to start school earlier because it's juggling $400,000 in scheduled maintenance projects.
District officials said starting after Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 7 this year, would mean losing a week of class time before state testing. Minneapolis is on a growing list of school districts in the state designated as needing improvement under federal education laws.
The calendar, approved by the school board Tuesday night, includes a two-week winter break but eliminates one staff training day in March. Students also will attend class the day before Thanksgiving. Classes end June 8.
Anoka-Hennepin and St. Paul, the state's two largest districts, will start class after Labor Day, on Sept. 8. But they have shaved days from their winter breaks to ensure an adequate number of school days and to avoid pushing the start of summer vacation to mid-June.
St. Paul's school year will end June 11, and Anoka-Hennepin's will end June 10.
PATRICE RELERFORD
