BILL No. 105

A bill to amend the Great Lakes Compiled Statutes in order to increase the number of days on school districts’ calendars while removing a requirement that snow days be made up.

SECTION 1. Short title.

This bill may be referred to as the “Educational Attendance Streamlining Act”.

SECTION 2. Definitions.

As used in this bill:

“Actual pupil attendance” refers to the counting of days of attendance, the definition of which is outlined in 104 GLCS Sec. 5/18-8.05, and reads as follows: “Days of attendance by pupils shall be counted only for sessions of not less than 5 clock hours of school work per day under direct supervision of: (i) teachers, or (ii) non-teaching personnel or volunteer personnel when engaging in non-teaching duties and supervising in those instances specified in subsection (a) of Section 10-22.34 and paragraph 10 of Section 34-18, with pupils of legal school age and in kindergarten and grades 1 through 12.”

“Inclement weather” refers to any of the following: (a) poor road conditions, (b) low visibility, (c) an actual temperature reading of negative ten degrees Fahrenheit, or (d) a wind-chill reading of negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit.

“Low visibility” optionally refers to the ability of a driver at the 85th percentile as determined by the Great Lakes State Police to see no further than one (1) quarter mile in a direct line of sight down the road said driver is currently traveling.

“Poor road conditions” refers to snow and/or ice causing a travel hazard, to be optionally determined by the National Weather Service.

“Snow day” refers to a cancellation of school resulting from inclement weather, be it caused by snow or not.

SECTION 3. Amending current code.

105 GLCS Sec. 5/10-19 is hereby repealed and replaced with the following: “Each school board shall annually prepare a calendar for the school term, specifying the opening and closing dates and providing a minimum term of 189 days, to include provision for 180 days of actual pupil attendance, provision for two full days of teacher and parent institutes as provided in section 10-22.18d, and provision for seven potential snow days. The board may not change the closing date for the same school term unless an extension of that term is necessary to provide for at least 160 days of actual pupil attendance.”

SECTION 4. Enacting clause.

This act shall take effect on July 1 of the year after passage.

SECTION 5. Repeal of conflicting legislation.

Any law of the State of Great Lakes in conflict with this act is hereby repealed.