Adopted: 11-10-75
Amended: 11-18-76
Amended: 3-14-78
Amended: 10-8-03
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State law prescribes a school day of a minimum of five and one-half instructional hours and requires that any schedules which vary from a 9:00 a.m. opening and 4:00 p.m. closing be approved by the Board. The State School Board of Education must approve variations from a regular five and one-half hour school day.

School hours established for schools of the district shall meet the above requirements. The administration is authorized to make minor changes in opening and closing times to facilitate the scheduling of transportation. School hours shall be kept as consistent as possible at various levels throughout the district. Any major changes in schedules shall be subject to Board approval.

Exceptions:

1. Kindergarten

The kindergarten program is a half-day program and must be held at least two and one-half hours to qualify as a day of school.

2. Elementary School

The elementary school is a full-day program and must be held at least 27.5 hours per week for grades one through five to qualify as a day of school. These time blocks are to be exclusive of lunch periods.

3. Secondary Schools

The secondary school program (7-12) is a full-day program and must be held at least 27.5 hours per week. This is exclusive of lunch periods and passing time between classes.

The length of the school day for grades K-12 may be determined by local boards of education without prior approval of the State Board of Education provided that school is held for the requisite hours per week, i.e., kindergarten, 12.5 hours; grades one through twelve 27.5 hours. These are minimum hours and may be extended by local districts at their discretion. All times listed are exclusive of lunch periods.

Teachers shall report to their teaching stations and be at school during the hours of one of the two following programs as decided by the faculty of the school for which he or she is assigned: (a) one-half hour before school until one hour after school, or (b) one hour before school until one-half hour after school, noon hour excepted unless assigned special duties. The teachers' time before and after school shall be available for pupil conferences so that pupils needing special help can be served.

The Board maintains a policy of keeping its school doors open a reasonable length of time before and after regular school hours. In the opinion of the Board, parents have a right to expect the school to be sympathetic and thoughtful about protecting children, especially during inclement weather.

The Board also believes that school facilities and faculty members should be available to students before and after school and that teachers should not expect to utilize all of their pre-school and post-school hours in planning and preparing for their classes to the neglect of the immediate needs of students.

Legal Reference: Items for Superintendents

USBE EB and EC