A school district in Macomb County is adding an extra 15 minutes to the end of each school day to make up for six snow days of lost instruction. But some key lawmakers are not so sure a lot of learning will go on in those last 15 minutes.

"It doesn't accomplish the education we're looking for," said Sen. Mickey SWITALSKI (D-Roseville), who is the ranking Democrat on the K-12 School Aid budget.

In 2003, legislative Republicans weaved into the School Aid budget a requirement that students needed to complete 1,098 hours of instruction a year, as opposed to the former 180-day requirement. The thinking was that school districts collared with high transportation costs could lengthen their school days while trimming their calendars (See "Republicans Get 1,098-Hour School Year," 8/11/03).

Being creative with their calendar is exactly what this school district in Macomb County is doing.

Switalski is having second thoughts about the 1,098-hour approach.

"I think it is not something we would support or want to duplicate and we're probably moving in the opposite direction of wanting to go back to days," he said.

Ditto, said Rep. Matt GILLARD (D-Alpena), who chairs the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee.

He conceded that when he voted as a freshman to scrap the hours, it may have been a mistake, and he too is now ready to revisit the day approach.

"I would favor going back to the day," the Alpena lawmaker told MIRS.

Switalski said, "It probably should happen and we'll start discussions" to do it.