Alpena Public Schools Starting 2017-2018 School Year Before Labor Day
Alpena Public Schools will be starting their 2017–2018 school year before the Labor Day holiday. The decision was made following a waiver that was approved last year by the Michigan Department of Education.
This year Alpena Public Schools started on September 6th, which was after Labor Day. Alpena High School Principal, Matthew Poli said the change will be good because students are ready to come back, and sports has already started.
“I think we’ve kind of reached that happy median where we will have these three or four day weekend over Labor Day weekend where the kids still have the opportunity to come in. But really, sports at that point has already started, and extra circulars have started and a lot of times they start the first week in August. So for those kids, it gets them back in the groove, but when June comes there are pretty much checked out, it’s pretty hard to keep them engaged,” he explained.
The APS Board of Education voted to start the 2017–2018 school year on, Monday August 28th, making the first week of school a 4 day week period for students before taking off for Labor Day weekend.
Alpena Community College will also follow the same start date. School will also start before Labor Day during the 2018–2019 school year, before APS has to reapply for another waiver.
