CHAPTER 365
FORMERLY
SENATE BILL NO. 276
AS AMENDED BY SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL CALENDARS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1: Amend § 122(b)(I 0), Title 14, Delaware Code by deleting said section in its entirety and by replacing it with a new §122(b)(I 0), Title 14, Delaware Code to read as follows:
"(10) Determining the days on which the schools are closed or days are abbreviated by the authority of the local board for such reasons as storms, necessary repairs, quarantine, destruction of school property by fire or other causes. Under the above conditions, the employees shall suffer no loss of pay and the total number of hours required by §1049(1) of this title may be adjusted accordingly;"
Section 2: Amend § 1049, Title 14, Delaware Code by renumbering the existing paragraphs (1) through (8) as paragraphs (2) through (9) and by adding a new paragraph (I) thereto to read as follows:
"(1) Determine the hours of daily school sessions, the holidays which the district schools shall be closed, and the days on which teachers attend educational improvement activities. This authority is subject to the requirement that all duly adopted district school calendars must provide for at least 180 days of pupil attendance for grades 1 through 12 and 176 days for kindergarten students. In preparing a local school calendar, districts may abbreviate up to four (4) days per semester to provide for parent-teacher conferences, curriculum development, semester examinations, or other school improvement activities. Except for the first and last days of the school year, any such abbreviated day shall be at least three and one-half (3 1/2) hours exclusive of lunch and shall not be scheduled on the school day preceding a scheduled holiday. Morning and afternoon sessions of kindergarten shall be alternated on such abbreviated days. In the case of regular school days, for grades I through 12 the length of the day shall be at least six hours exclusive of lunch periods; provided that a district may schedule days with fewer than six hours so long as the total scheduled hours of instruction do not fall below 1,060. The actual hours of instruction may be less than 1,060 hours due to unplanned delays or early dismissals of not more than two hours in each instance which are caused by weather or other unforeseen emergency circumstances. All district calendars shall be adopted by April 30th for the ensuing school year and may only be amended following 30 days' public notice."
Section 3. This bill shall be effective July 1, 1996.
Approved June 14, 1996