20-A §4801. School days
Title 20-A: EDUCATION
Part 3: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 209: SCHOOL DAYS, HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
§4801. School days
The following provisions shall apply to school days. [1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
1. Number. A school administrative unit shall make provision for the maintenance of all of its schools for at least 180 days a year. At least 175 days shall be used for instruction. In meeting the requirement of a 180-day school year, no more than 5 days may be used for in-service education of teachers, administrative meetings, parent-teacher conferences, records' days and similar activities.
A. The commissioner may reduce or waive the minimum number of days required on application from a school board. The commissioner may authorize an equivalent number of hours to be substituted for days for a limited time period upon application from a school board. The application must be supported in writing with a statement of the reasons for the request. [2009, c. 87, §1 (AMD).]
A-1. [1993, c. 349, §45 (RP).]
B. Notwithstanding any other section of the statutes, school committees, with the approval of the commissioner, may adopt or amend rules necessary to implement an extended school year at the local level. The commissioner may make appropriate adjustments, not to exceed the allowable subsidy, to insure fair and equitable treatment in the distribution of state aid. [1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
C. Notwithstanding this subsection, the commissioner shall promulgate a rule to provide that local school units may allow secondary school students to graduate up to 5 school days prior to the regular end of the school year. [1985, c. 624, (NEW).]
D. A school administrative unit, operating under a plan approved by the commissioner, may provide for the use of up to 5 of the 175 instructional days required by this section to be used for screening incoming first year students for the purpose of identifying children with disabilities and students at risk of school failure as required by state or federal law. [2005, c. 662, Pt. A, §10 (AMD).]
E. Notwithstanding this subsection and any other provision of law, for school years 1991-92 and 1992-93, a school administrative unit may reduce the number of days for the maintenance of all its schools by 5 days a year. A school administrative unit that decides to reduce the number of school days for school year 1991-92 or 1992-93, or both, shall notify the commissioner in writing of its plan. [1991, c. 622, Pt. DD, §2 (NEW).]
[ 2009, c. 87, §1 (AMD) .]
2. Equal terms. A school administrative unit shall operate all its schools so that their regular annual sessions are as equal in length as practicable.
[ 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW) .]
2-A. Regional school calendars; plan; rules. Each school administrative unit shall work with affiliated units, as defined in section 8301-A, subsection 1, in its career and technical center or school administrative units in its career and technical region to develop and approve a regional school calendar that aligns the school calendars of sending schools with the school calendars of career and technical education programs in the region. The plan for a regional school calendar must meet the following requirements.
A. There may not be more than 9 dissimilar instructional days within each regional calendar. [2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW).]
B. When career and technical centers or regions overlap, there must be common calendars for each of the schools in those overlapping areas. [2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW).]
C. The authority for approving the regional school calendar must be within the school boards of the local school administrative units. [2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW).]
D. Regional school calendars may have provisions for waivers of the number of dissimilar days for extenuating circumstances. [2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW).]
E. Plans for regional school calendars must be approved and implemented in time for the 2005-2006 school year. [2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW).]
The commissioner shall adopt rules to establish requirements for regional school calendars. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
[ 2003, c. 617, §1 (NEW) .]
3. Noncompliance. A school administrative unit which fails to comply with this section may not receive its state school subsidy until it provides for future compliance.
[ 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW) .]
SECTION HISTORY
1981, c. 693, §§5,8 (NEW). 1985, c. 624, (AMD). 1989, c. 128, (AMD). 1991, c. 121, §A4 (AMD). 1991, c. 622, §DD2 (AMD). 1993, c. 349, §45 (AMD). 2003, c. 617, §1 (AMD). 2005, c. 662, §A10 (AMD). 2009, c. 87, §1 (AMD).