702 KAR 7:140. School calendar.

 

      RELATES TO: KRS 157.320, 157.350, 158.060,

158.070

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 156.070,

156.160, 157.320, 158.060, 158.070

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 156.070,

156.160, 157.320, 158.060, and 158.070 define the school day and month and

require the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) to promulgate administrative

regulations governing the make-up of school days missed. KRS 158.070 defines

the school term and requires the KBE to promulgate administrative regulations governing

the use of school days and the establishment of school calendars. This administrative

regulation establishes the requirements for school districts to follow

regarding school calendars.

 

      Section 1. Calendar Requirements. (1) The

local board of education shall adopt a school calendar on or before May 15 of

each year. The calendar shall:

      (a) Establish the length of each student

attendance day, in accordance with KRS 158.060(3); and

      (b) Set the instructional time the local

board of education requires for kindergarten per KRS 157.320(7).

      (2) Opening day shall be scheduled to

occur prior to the first student attendance day of the student instructional year.

      (3) Closing day shall be scheduled to

occur following the completion of the last student attendance day of the student

instructional year.

      (4) Local school districts shall plan, in

accordance with this subsection, for the make-up of instructional time missed

due to emergency. In addition to the minimum 1,062 hour student instructional year,

the school calendar shall include days equal to the greatest number of days

missed system-wide in the local school district over the preceding five (5)

school years.

      (5) Graduation ceremonies may be held

before the end of the student instructional year. Diplomas shall be distributed

after completion of the student instructional year.

 

      Section 2. Calendar Approval. (1) The

local board of education shall file each adopted school calendar, which

complies with the requirements of Section 1 of this administrative regulation,

with the department no later than June 30 of each year. The local school district

shall not be paid any installment of its Support Education Excellence in

Kentucky (SEEK) program allotment until the school calendar has been approved

by the department.

      (2) The local board of education, upon

recommendation of the local school district superintendent, may amend the

school calendar.

      (3) An amended school calendar, which

complies with the requirements of Section 1 of this administrative regulation, shall

be submitted for approval to the department no later than June 30 of each year.

 

      Section 3. Instructional Time Missed. (1)

The regularly scheduled student attendance day shall not be shortened after the

school calendar has been adopted by the local board of education and approved

by the department except in cases of emergency declared by the local school

district superintendent in accordance with policies of the local board of

education.

      (2) The local school district shall not

be required to make up a total of five (5) hours missed each student instructional

year that were missed as a result of student attendance days shortened due to

emergency. These hours shall be reported to the department on the amended

school calendar and shall be included in the calculation of total hours of

instructional time for the student instructional year.

      (3) Except as provided in subsection (2)

of this section, all instructional time missed on student attendance days shortened

due to emergency shall be made up and shall be reported to the department on

the amended school calendar.

 

      Section 4. Emergency Day Waiver. (1) A

school district shall not be granted an emergency day waiver unless the

district has missed more than twenty (20) regular student attendance days

district-wide and the district has demonstrated that an extreme hardship would

result if the district is not granted an emergency day waiver. The local school

district shall make up at least the first twenty (20) regular student

attendance days missed in a school year by adding these equivalent hours back

into the school calendar.

      (2) A local board of education request

for a district-wide emergency day waiver shall be submitted to the commissioner

for approval. A copy of the local board order shall accompany this request. An

approved emergency day waiver shall be the length of the student attendance day

established in the approved calendar.

      (3) A local board of education may

request an emergency day waiver if one (1) school, or part of the district, is

forced to miss school on a particular student attendance day due to an

emergency. The request shall be submitted to the commissioner for approval. A

copy of the local board order shall accompany this request. An approved emergency

day waiver shall be the length of the student attendance day established in the

approved calendar.

 

      Section 5. Activities of the Student Attendance

Day. (1) The following shall constitute the activities to be conducted during

the student attendance day:

      (a) Courses and content included in the Kentucky

Core Academic Standards, pursuant to 704 KAR 3:303;

      (b) Cocurricular activities which are

unequivocally instructional in nature, directly related to the instructional

program and scheduled to minimize absences from classroom instruction; and

      (c) A maximum of five (5) minutes passing

time between instructional periods, and travel time required to participate in

regular instructional programs off of the school campus including vocational

schools, day treatment centers, and alternative schools. Travel time to

off-campus facilities shall be scheduled to minimize absence from classroom

instruction.

      (2) The local board of education shall

adopt a policy specifying cocurricular instructional activities which may be

included in the student attendance day, as described in subsection (1)(b) of

this section.

      (3) Each school shall have available a

master (bell) schedule that delineates instructional time periods and

noninstructional time periods for all grade levels served and schedules

provided. An up-to-date master (bell) schedule shall be on file in a school.

Up-to-date master (bell) schedules for each school in a district shall be on

file in the district's central office. (36 Ky.R. 497; Am. 1217; eff. 1-4-2010;

41 Ky.R. 600; 1339; eff. 1-5-2015.)