They often have autonomy from certain state and district regulations and may determine their own budgets, class and school size, and length of school year depending on state law. (nsba.org)
The Impact of Length of the School Year on Student Performance and Earnings: Evidence from the German Short School Years, (semanticscholar.org)
First, it can allow districts to game accountability systems by rearranging school calendars so that students have more time in school prior to the exam, even as the overall length of the school year remains constant. (educationnext.org)