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SB 534

Relating to allowable claims of equity in a property that is subject to a reverse mortgage; declaring an emergency.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Deb Patterson and 1 co-sponsor

SB 534 would count supervised recess as instructional time toward Michigan's minimum 1,098 hours/180 days, changing district reporting and potential state aid calculations.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · SB 534

Summary — SB 534 (Introduced Feb. 20, 2025)

Title: Education: attendance; time pupils spend at recess; allow to be counted as pupil instruction time. (Amends Sec. 101 of 1979 PA 94 — MCL 388.1701)
Status: Referred to Committee on Education

Main purpose and intent

SB 534 would amend Michigan’s State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1701, Sec. 101) to allow time pupils spend at recess to be counted toward the statutory minimum pupil instruction hours and/or days. The purpose is to permit school districts to include supervised recess time as part of the required 1,098 hours and 180 days of pupil instruction, thereby giving districts greater flexibility in meeting instructional-time mandates.

Key provisions (as described in bill summary)

  • Amends Section 101 of the State School Aid Act of 1979 to treat recess periods as allowable pupil instruction time for purposes of satisfying the statutory minimum hours/days requirement.
  • Would affect how districts report compliance with the minimum hours/days requirement and how the Department of Education calculates any state-aid forfeitures tied to noncompliance.
  • Tie-bar: the bill is linked with SB 535 (per the bill header), which likely contains related or companion provisions (review SB 535 for cross-references).

Note: The legislative excerpt provided is truncated and does not include the full text of the amendment (for example, whether all recess minutes count, whether only supervised/structured recess counts, or any grade-level or duration limits). The summary above reflects the bill’s stated intent.

Who would be affected

  • Public school districts and intermediate school districts — would be able to count recess time toward minimum instructional-hour requirements and would change attendance/attendance-reporting practices.
  • Students — potential schedule/calendar impacts; may result in minor shifts to instructional scheduling without reducing total supervised time.
  • State Department of Education — would adjust compliance monitoring, reporting forms, and possibly state-aid deductions tied to instructional-time noncompliance.
  • Labor/collective bargaining stakeholders — possible implications if teacher contracts or district calendars are tied to instructional minutes.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Compliance and funding: Counting recess toward instructional minutes could reduce the number of make-up days or additional instructional minutes districts must schedule to meet statutory minimums, which may reduce instances of state-aid forfeiture tied to noncompliance.
  • Instructional quality: Supporters may argue this recognizes supervised recess as contributing to student learning and wellbeing; opponents may raise concerns about diluting “instructional” minutes or uneven application across grades.
  • Administrative: Districts may need to update attendance certification procedures and submit revised data to the center/department per existing deadlines in Sec. 101.
  • Legal/contract implications: Districts with existing collective bargaining agreements or waivers may need to assess whether and how recess counting interacts with those agreements.

Procedural / timeline

  • Introduced: February 20, 2025.
  • Current status: Referred to the Committee on Education (next steps typically include committee hearing, possible amendments, and committee vote before floor consideration).
  • Related measure: TIE BAR with SB 0535 (review both bills together as they may be coordinated).

Recommendation / next steps for readers

  • Review the full bill text (Sec. 101 amendments) once available to confirm precise language (e.g., definitions, limits, effective date).
  • Check committee calendars for hearings and for any fiscal or explanatory analyses that clarify implementation, reporting changes, or state-aid effects.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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