A legislative bill is being proposed to change the number of hours in a school calendar year.
State Representative Lyle Rowland is proposing a bill that would provide a minimum term of at least 174 days of school with a five-day school week, 142 days for schools with a four-day week and 1,044 hours of pupil attendance.
The bill is proposing that if a school district provides at least 1,073 hours of actual pupil attendance in the school year, the district will not be required to meet the minimum number of days as stated in the calendar filed by the district.
State Representative Lyle Rowland says it takes away the days mandated to be in attendance during the school year. “Right now I think its 1,044 hours and 174 days,” he says. “What I’m doing is I’m taking away the 174 days and putting 1,073 hours.”
He says this will give school districts a lot of flexibility in their school calendar. “Some districts are more strapped for funds than others and this would make it a local decision then as to how they can put their school calendar together,” he says.
Rowland says the bill would reduce incidental costs throughout the state, keeping the schools at a functioning level, and reducing the number of days that school buses would be on the roads.
AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:03)