North Carolina considers shorter school year

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

Legislators are talking about cutting the 2009-10 school year short by five days because of the budget crisis.

Public schools would employ fewer assistant principals, teaching assistants and social workers under a proposed education budget presented this week.

Cutting the school year from 180 days to 175 next year would save $100million. In 2010-2011, the school year would be reduced by 10 days to 170 days, saving $200million. Teachers and other school staff would be furloughed, creating most of the savings.

Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat and one of the education budget writers, said the idea is to have five days cut from the end of the school year, days that are notorious for their limited instructional value.