School Calendar Legislation

Requirements and Guidance on School CalendarS.L. 2020-3 (SB704) Updated June 30, 2020

2012 Senate Bill 187 (Session Law 2012-145), applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, rewrites a portion of the calendar law (General Statute 115C-84.2). Legislation: Session Law 2012-145, Senate Bill 187, Section 7A.11. Effective July 1, 2013

Note: Charter schools must meet the requirements of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction.

Tab/Accordion Items

School Calendars must meet the following requirements:

  1. Start date no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and end date no later than the Friday closest to June 11 (unless a weather related calendar waiver has been approved, year-round school, charter school or cooperative innovative high school.) If waiver is approved the start date can be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 19.
  2. There are no educational purpose waivers for exemption of the opening and/or closing dates.
  3. All schools within the district must be closed all day for purposes of determining eligibility for a weather related waiver (delayed starts or early dismissals of two or more hours no longer apply).
  4. Covers at least nine calendar months.
  5. Must have a minimum of 185 days OR 1,025 hours of instruction.
  6. Must have at least nine (9) teacher workdays.
  7. Local Boards shall designate two (2) workdays on which teachers may take accumulated vacation leave. Local Boards may designate the remaining workdays as days teachers may take accumulated vacation leave.
  8. Have a minimum of ten (10) annual vacation leave days.
  9. Have the same or an equivalent number of legal holidays occurring within the school calendar as those designated by the State Personnel Commission for State employees.
  10. School shall not be held on Sunday.
  11. Veterans Day shall be a holiday for all public school personnel and for all students enrolled in the public schools.

Traditional: A school that has one track, in operation for at least 185 days, with a long summer break (approximately 10 weeks.)

Year-round: A school with a single- or multi-track instructional calendar to provide instructional days throughout the entire school calendar year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, by utilizing at least one of the following plans:

  1. A plan dividing students into four groups and requiring each group to be in school for assigned and staggered quarters each school calendar year.
  2. A plan providing students be scheduled to attend four quarters of between 43 and 47 instructional days each school calendar year, with vacation periods for students of between 14 and 18 days separating each quarter.
  3. A plan dividing the school calendar year into five nine-week sessions of classes and requiring each student to attend four assigned and staggered sessions out of the five nine-week sessions to complete the student’s instructional year.
  4. In a LEA with both single- and multi-track instructional calendars, a plan for a single-track instructional calendar that is identical to at least one track of a multi-track instructional calendar adopted by the local board that meets the requirements of either 1. or 3. above.

Modified: A school that a local board designated as having a modified calendar for the 2003-2004 school year or any school that was part of a planned program in the 2003-2004 school year for a system of modified calendar schools, so long as the school operates under a modified calendar.

Traditional and Year Round Combination: A school that offers two or more calendar types.

All schools (charters, lab, regional, ISD, etc.) and LEAs are responsible for entering a calendar type for each school in EDDIE.