The Board will annually adopt a school calendar that will provide for 1,044 hours of pupil attendance with no minimum number of school days. The beginning of the school year will not be earlier than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the first Monday in September. For a school district that is located wholly or partially in a county with a charter form of government or in a school district that is located wholly or partially in a city with more than 30,000 inhabitants, a minimum of 169 school days are required.  However, if the District has adopted a four-day school week, a minimum of 142 school days are required. If the District has adopted or adopts a four-day school week, Fridays may be used as make-up days.

The length of the school day will meet State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements for six (6) clock hours of instruction. A school year and school day in excess of the state required minimum may be recommended by the Superintendent and approved by the Board.  The planned calendar adopted prior to the beginning of the school year must be reported to DESE on Core Data Screen 10 by August 15 of each year and cannot be changed after that date.

The District will only be required to make up the first thirty-six (36) hours of school lost or canceled due to inclement weather and half the number of hours lost or canceled in excess of thirty-six (36) hours up to twenty-four (24) hours of additional lost or canceled hours.  Thus, the maximum number of hours that must be made up is sixty (60) hours. Days missed in the District’s half-day education program will only be made up if required of the District due to “inclement weather on a proportional basis.” For purposes of this Policy, “inclement weather” shall mean ice, snow, extreme cold, flooding, a tornado, or excessive heat. 

Effective July 1, 2026, the District will make up the first six (6) days of school lost or cancelled due to inclement weather and half the number of days in excess of six (6) days if the make-up is necessary to ensure that District students attend a minimum school term and a minimum of one thousand forty-four (1,044) hours for the school year except as provided in this Policy.

The District will not be required to make up any hours of school lost or cancelled due to exceptional or emergency circumstances during a school year, if DESE has approved an alternative method of instruction plan submitted by the District. (See Regulation 1210).

NOTE:  See Regulation 1210 for “Adoption of a Four-Day School Week” and for “Adoption of a Five-Day School Week Incentive.