AUGUSTA – Hey kids, how about spending an extra 10 days a year in school?

A class of elementary students from St. Mary’s School in Augusta told the education committee their answer to that question: No way.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would extend the school year by 10 days. During a public hearing Tuesday, bill sponsor Sen. Peter Mills, R-Skowhegan, said any addition of class time would be sufficient.

Maine’s school year is one of the shortest in the country, Mills said in his testimony.

It would cost the state about $5 million per day to add to the school year, or $50 million if the state were to add the full 10 days. Committee members and opponents were skeptical that, in the age of school consolidation to save dollars, the money could be found.

Several people, including one of the student opponents, suggested a longer school day, which would be less costly.

Mark Eastman, superintendent of the Oxford Hills School District in Oxford, said after the hearing that a school year extension has come up numerous times with no result. It always comes down to money, he said.

A bill to require that all public schools not start until after Labor Day was also heard in the education committee Tuesday. Members of the hospitality industry testified that earlier starts hurt business because the youths working for them cannot work through the holiday. Also, families can’t vacation into September.

School officials, however, testified that it would complicate school calendars and take away local control.