602.1 School Day - Instructional/Non-Instructional

SCHOOL DAY--INSTRUCTIONAL/NONINSTRUCTIONAL
(Department of Education Regulations)

A minimum number of days in session that a district must hold in order to qualify for full state aid is 175. The Department of Education, to provide interpretation of the law, defines "days in session" to consist of both "instructional days in session" and "noninstructional days in session."

Instructional Day in Session
An instructional day in session is a day during which all students are required to attend and participate in school activity for the full school day--minimums for which are specified by rules of the State Board of Education (see EDU 21 and EDU 44). In order for a day to be counted as an instructional day of session, the entire day must be utilized for school activities; that is, early dismissal of school (except in emergency circumstances) will result in the loss of the whole day as an instructional session day.

The minimum number of instructional days in session that a district may hold for each grade level is 170 full days. Attendance and membership data reported to the Department of Education shall be compiled on the basis of these instructional days in session. That is, no student may have more days membership or attendance than the number of instructional session days conducted at that grade level. Average daily membership and average daily attendance shall be computed by dividing the total days membership and attendance by the number of instructional days in session.

Nonistructional Days in Session
Noninstructional days in session shall be defined as any days used in whole or in part for parent-teacher conferences and/or teacher workshops. If any part of a day is used for these purposes, the whole day must be counted as having been used for such purposes.

If a district maintains the minimum of 175 days in session, not more than five of these days may be noninstructional days (if the minimum requirement of 170 full instructional days is to be fulfilled).

If a district holds a session in excess of 175 day minimum and meets or exceeds the 170 full instructional day requirement, then more than five noninstructional session days may be held.

In both of the above two circumstances, students may have attended some part of the noninstructional day but they shall not accumulate attendance or membership days because these days are not instructional days in session.

SPECIFIC TOPICS CONCERNING DAYS IN SESSION

A. General

1. Early Dismissal--It is allowable to count as a full day of session, and also a full day of membership, any day during which students are dismissed to return to their homes due to inclement weather or other unforeseen emergencies, provided that the student body was gathered to the school plant and then subsequently released. The same rule applies for late opening of school for such reasons.
2. Total School Day Canceled--A day during which no classes are held (the students are in attendance no portion of the day) due to inclement weather or other reasons shall not be allowed as a day in session nor as a day in membership for those schools affected. Each school district should incorporate sufficient days in the school term so as to provide for a reasonable number of inclement weather days off without falling below the 175 day in session minimum. If, due to circumstances beyond the district's control, and after a good faith effort to make up lost days has been made, a district finds itself unable to reasonably meet the 175 day minimum, a letter of explanation requesting forgiveness may be written to the Commissioner of Education. A good faith effort to make up days lost shall consist of holding classes on previously scheduled optional holidays and/or shortening winter or spring vacation and/or lengthening the school year.
3. Registration Day--Days used for the purposes of registering students and scheduling classes may not be counted as days in session unless the students attend a full day. In order to be counted as a day in session, time not used for scheduling or registration must be occupied by other school activities until the minimum school day has been held.
4. Test Days--Final test days, whether held at the end of the school year or some term within the year, shall not be counted as days in session (or membership) unless the entire student body was required to attend the full day. That is, it shall not be permissible to count as a day in session a day during which the students are required to attend only for the duration of their tests if such time falls short of the full day.
5. Tournaments and Festivals--When students (besides the participants involved) are relieved from school supervision before attending a full day to attend a noncompulsory athletic event, tournament, or festival, regardless of whether such event takes place within or outside the resident district, the day may not be counted as a day in session. If students are required to attend a scheduled event of such a nature and free transportation is provided, if necessary, then the time consumed may be counted toward meeting the minimum length of the school day.

B. Kindergarten

1. Afternoon Sessions Not Held Because of Early Dismissal--If afternoon kindergarten sessions are not held due to inclement weather or other unforeseen emergencies, and the morning kindergarten session was in attendance all or part of its normal period before being dismissed, the district shall be allowed to count such afternoon sessions as days in session and days in membership for the involved kindergartens. Also, if only the afternoon session is held under similar circumstances, the morning session may be counted.
2. Full Days Held for Kindergartens That Normally Meet Half Days--If kindergarten sessions that normally meet for one-half day are conducted for one full day under the guidance of a full complement of teachers, for special purposes (e.g., field trips), such days may be counted as two days in session for the involved kindergarten classes.
3. Spring Roundup--Kindergarten shall not be counted in session when the current year's kindergarten classes are not held but, rather, the next year's prospective kindergartners are gathered for orientation, registration, etc.

C. Seniors

1. End of Year Days Off (Seniors)--See early graduation.
2. Graduation--To be allowed as days in session (and membership) for seniors, the days during which graduation practice and commencement occur must meet the six hour secondary day requirement. This is, the day used for such purposes may be counted toward the six hour requirement, but the events alone do not automatically constitute a full day. The remainder of the six hours not used for practice or graduation must be used for school activities. If graduation practice and the commencement exercise occur on the same day and the time consumed equals or exceeds six hours, the day has met the requirement and is allowable as a day in session. The six hours need not run consecutively; that is, commencement may occur in the evening while the balance of the six hours was conducted during the same day.
3. Senior Skip Days--Days on which seniors are not required to attend while those students in other grades are required to attend (commonly called "senior skip days") shall neither be counted as days in session nor days in membership for seniors.