TRAVERSE CITY -- School starts three minutes earlier in Kingsley this semester.
It's not to draw students out of bed earlier. Superintendent Lynn Gullekson thinks they'll barely notice a difference.
But they'll almost certainly appreciate the outcome in June if he is able to shave eight days off the end of the year.
Districts across the region are seeking ways to trim budgets, and some are considering a unique option -- tweak the school calendar by a few minutes now to cut out whole days later, a technique that saves on staffing, utilities and transportation.
And a clause in the state's School Aid Act will require a minimum of 165 school days next year and forbid districts from scheduling fewer school days than they had this year.
"If we were going to make any change to reduce, it was going to have to be this year," Gullekson said.
Traverse City Area Public Schools could do the same if board members adopt the move Monday as part of at least $6 million in budget cuts for 2010-11. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the district's administration building on Webster Street.
A budget committee suggested the item last fall. Administrators didn't recommend it, but board members Kelly Hall and Julie Puckett last week pulled it back into consideration.
Nearly all of administrators' ideas overlapped with the committee's list.
District estimates show cutting three days from the end of this year would save $100,000, or $200,000 for six. Ending its nine half days could save $80,000.
TCAPS students will meet 182 days this year, including half days, said Christine Davis, executive director of human resources. Eliminating one full day would require 372 minutes to be spread throughout the rest of the year.
Because of state law changes, districts have to amend their school calendars this year if they want fewer days next year.
Administrators discussed changing four of the five remaining half days into two full days this spring, keeping the same number of teaching minutes, Davis said. More days could be cut before June.
"I am the first to admit that instructional days are important for student achievement," Hall said. "Given what we're faced with, we need to look at every dollar we're spending."
In Kingsley, this year's calendar went from 178 to 170 days by removing time built in for makeup days and adding three minutes to school start times. Dismissal time remains the same.
Any snow days will be tacked on at the end, Gullekson said.
The district will explore savings on utilities and transportation to estimate savings for next year, and consider whether to end early in June 2011 or schedule a mid-winter break.
Local school systems don't have to inform the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District to undertake such a move, Superintendent Mike Hill said.
It's possible Traverse City's board won't adopt either recommendation verbatim Monday, and could instead select items from both and altering suggested savings amounts.
Puckett said the initial group deserves attention because of the variety of participants and the time they spent on the task.
"I don't think anyone is discounting that," she said. "I took both very seriously."
More on the calendar
Students in Traverse City's public schools could have to make up classes lost to snow days and last fall's flu-related absences.
Most schools thus far have one day to make up at the end of the year, said Christine Davis, executive director of human resources. Blair Elementary and West Middle School closed because of flu, which left them on the hook for three and four days, respectively.
A bill in the state House would forgive flu-related closures. Davis said administrators are discussing options for making up the time.
