The school year just got a little longer for students in North Carolina. The state’s budget bill included a provision which will increase the school year from 180 days to 185, beginning next year.

The Charlotte Observer reports that officials at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, along with several other districts across the state, are scrambling to figure out exactly what the new mandate means and what the full impact will be.

"Students across the state will benefit from the additional days," CMS spokeswoman Kasia Thompson said in a statement. "Our immediate objectives are to understand the full impact of the law on our school district and determine how we will adapt the approved school calendars to comply with the law."

The law revokes a requirement for five mandatory teacher workdays when students stay home. Covering the cost of running buses and paying hourly staff on those additional days could present a problem for cash-strapped districts across the state, including CMS.

School districts who can demonstrate they have a better way to “enhance student performance” can apply for a waiver from the N.C. Board of Education.

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