SUMMARY:

            This bill would allow the DOE to define an “equivalent” to 180 days of required instruction, changes the requirement for school nutrition personnel from 190 days at 8 hours a day to a total of 1520 hours per year, and provides a kindergarten program to be full-day with a minimum of 4 ½ hours daily for 180 days, or its "equivalent."  It also allows systems to close for Veterans Day on November 11 of each year beginning in 2010-2011, if they so desire.

NOTES:

• This bill could allow school systems to initiate 4-day school weeks, or any other configurations of a school day to meet the DOE’s definition of an “equivalent.”
• This bill could allow schools to operate two sessions of kindergarten in a day and still have both sessions considered full-day programs.
• This bill gives school nutrition employees flexibility to distribute the required 1520 hours per year over the entire school year not limited to 180 days.