This paper describes an extended school year (ESY) project that was developed and implemented cooperatively by three Michigan school districts and offers comments and suggestions for school administrators considering adoption of such a program. In the Michigan ESY project, the normal school year was divided into four terms of nine weeks each, and a fifth nine-week term was added during the summer months. Because the primary purpose of the project was to provide improved educational experiences and increased program options for students, rather than to save money, students were allowed to choose which terms to attend. Based on three years of experience with the Michigan project, the author discusses the task of developing and operating a year-round school program and presents numerous recommendations for funding, staffing, administering, and integrating an ESY program into a school district's overall educational program. (JG)