Reference is to the bill as introduced.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Section 59-1-425 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 260 of 2006, is amended to read:
"Section 59-1-425.
(A)
Each A local school district board
of trustees of the State shall have has
the authority to establish an annual school calendar for
teachers, staff, and students. The statutory school term
is one hundred ninety days annually and shall
consist consists of a minimum of one hundred
eighty days of instruction covering at least nine
calendar months. However, beginning with the 2007-2008 school
year the opening date for students must not be before the third
Monday in August, except for schools operating on a year-round
modified school calendar or the equivalent one
thousand one hundred seventy instructional hours and ten
additional days or the equivalent sixty hours as provided in
this section for secondary schools or one thousand eighty hours
and ten additional days or the equivalent sixty hours for
elementary schools as provided in this section. A local
school district may decide how best to structure the
instructional day or equivalent hours and how many days of
instruction comprise the school year, in that the local school
district calendar includes instructional days to coincide with
official testing dates as set by the South Carolina Department
of Education for the administration of the statewide testing
program. The number of instructional hours in an instructional
day may vary according to local board policy and does not have
to be uniform among schools in the district. However, the
opening date for students may not be before the third Monday in
August, except for schools that operate on a year-round modified
school calendar. A local school district shall schedule ten
additional days. Three days or the equivalent eighteen
hours must be used for collegial professional development
based upon the educational standards as required
by provided in Section 59-18-300. The
professional development shall address, at a minimum, academic
achievement standards including strengthening teachers'
knowledge in their content area, teaching techniques, and
assessment. No more than two days may be used for preparation
of opening of schools, and the remaining five days may be
used for teacher planning, academic plans, and parent
conferences. The number of instructional hours in an
instructional day may vary according to local board policy and
does not have to be uniform among the schools in the
district.
(B) Notwithstanding
any other provisions another provision
of law to the contrary, all
school days missed because of snow, extreme weather conditions,
or other disruptions requiring schools to close must be made up.
All A school districts
district shall designate annually at least three days
or the equivalent number of instructional hours within
their its school
calendars calendar to be used as
make-up days to make up missed time in the event
of these occurrences. If those the
designated days or times have been used or are no longer
available, the local school board of trustees may lengthen the
hours of school operation by no less than one hour per day for
the total number of hours missed or operate schools on Saturday.
Schools operating on a four-by-four block schedule shall make
every effort to make up the time during the semester in which
the days are missed. A plan to make up days by lengthening the
school day must be approved by the Department of Education
before implementation. Tutorial instruction for grades
7 seven through 12
twelve may be taught on Saturday at the direction of the
local school board. If a local school board authorizes make-up
days time on Saturdays, tutorial
instruction normally offered on Saturday for seventh through
twelfth graders must be scheduled at an alternative time.
(C) The General
Assembly by law may waive the requirements of making up missed
days or time or, by law, may authorize the school board
of trustees to forgive up to three days or the equivalent
number of instructional hours missed because of snow,
extreme weather conditions, or other disruptions requiring
schools to close. A waiver granted by the local board of
trustees of the requirement for making up missed days or
time also must be authorized through a majority vote of the
local school board.
(D) If a school is
closed early due to snow, extreme weather conditions, or other
disruptions, the day or equivalent number of instructional
hours may count towards the required minimum to the extent
allowed by State Board of Education policy.
(E) The instructional
day for secondary students must be at a minimum six hours a day,
or its equivalent weekly, excluding lunch. The school day for
elementary students must be at a minimum six hours a day, or its
equivalent weekly, including lunch.
(F) Elementary and
secondary schools may reduce the length of the instructional day
to not less than three hours for not more than three days each
school year for staff development, teacher conferences, or for
the purpose of administering end-of-semester and end-of-year
examinations.
(G) Priority during the
instructional day must be given to teaching and learning tasks.
Class interruptions must be limited only to emergencies.
Volunteer blood drives as determined by the principal may be
conducted at times which would that do
not interfere with classroom instruction such as study period,
lunch period, and before and after school.
(H) The State Board of
Education may waive the school opening date requirement pursuant
to subsection (A) of this section on a showing of good cause or
for an educational purpose. For the purposes of this section:
(1)
'Good cause' means that schools in a district have been
closed eight days per year during any four of the last ten years
because of severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power
failures, or other emergency situations.
(2)
'Educational purpose' means a district establishes a need
to adopt a different calendar for a:
(a)
specific school to accommodate a special program offered
generally to the student body of that
school,;
(b)
school that primarily serves a special population of
students,; or
(c)
defined program within a school.
The state board may grant the waiver for an
educational purpose for that specific school or defined program
to the extent that the state board finds that the educational
purpose is reasonable, the accommodation is necessary to
accomplish the educational purpose, and the request is not an
attempt to circumvent the opening date set forth in this
subsection. Waiver requests for educational purposes may not be
used to accommodate system-wide class scheduling preferences.
Nothing in this subsection prohibits a district from offering
supplemental or additional educational programs or activities
outside of the calendar adopted under this section.
(I) The State
Board of Education shall promulgate any necessary
regulations."
SECTION 2. Section 59-29-120(C) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(C) On November eleventh of each year, schools may permit students to attend activities to commemorate and honor veterans that are held at locations within their respective counties. The parent of a student seeking to be excused pursuant to this subsection shall provide prior written consent to the appropriate school personnel. Attendance at such activities shall count as a part of the instructional day or equivalent instructional hours for purposes of Section 59-1-440."
SECTION 3. Section 59-155-160(E)(2), as added by Act 284 of 2014, is amended to read:
"(2) The parent or guardian may designate another person as an education advocate also to act on their behalf to receive notification and to assume the responsibility of promoting the reading success of the child. The parent or guardian of a retained student must be offered supplemental tutoring for the retained student in evidenced-based services outside the instructional day or equivalent instructional hours."
SECTION 4. Section 59-156-130(C)(1) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 284 of 2014, is amended to read:
"(1) No parent is required to pay tuition or fees solely for the purpose of enrolling in or attending the program established under this chapter. Nothing in this chapter prohibits charging fees for childcare that may be provided outside the times of the instructional day or equivalent instructional hours provided in these programs."
SECTION 5. Nothing in this act may affect the prosecution of violations of the Compulsory School Attendance Laws of Article 1, Chapter 65, Title 59.
SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.