The school year in Saskatchewan will not begin until at least after Labour Day, according to legislation introduced Tuesday.

The proposed law follows up on an election campaign announcement made by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who said varying start times was difficult for families trying to coordinate summer vacations.

The legislation also mandates that no school year can run past June 30.

"This change will mean that students and their families can fully enjoy the last long weekend of summer, as they do in other provinces including British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario," Donna Harpauer, Saskatchewan's minister of education, said.

The province will still allow local school boards to determine the exact dates for the opening and closing of schools, the hours of instruction and the schedule for the overall school year.

The province said boards may also have teachers begin work earlier than Labour Day, as they currently do, to prepare for the school year.

The election promise generated some push-back from some who said the province should have consulted school boards about the change.

In a news release announcing the legislation, the government said it has now "begun consultations with teachers, boards of education and school divisions to develop regulations on school hours, holidays, vacations and variations in the length of the school year."

Harpauer said she wanted regulations that will allow flexibility for school divisions to set elements of their school year.

"I would like to stress that around school hours, holidays, vacations and variations in the length of the school year, nothing has been decided," Harpauer said. "We look forward to starting the conversation with teachers, schools and boards on these important topics."