Bill Text: SC H4148 | 2019-2020 | 123rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Statutory school term
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-28 - Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works [H4148 Detail]
Download: South_Carolina-2019-H4148-Introduced.html
A BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 59-1-425, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE STATUTORY SCHOOL TERM, SO AS TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY OPERATE SCHOOLS ON FOUR-DAY WEEKLY CALENDARS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS FOR FOUR-DAY WEEKLY CALENDARS AND PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING APPROVAL OF PROPOSED FOUR-DAY WEEKLY CALENDARS FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-1-425 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:
"( )(1) Beginning with the 2020-2021 School Year, a school district board of trustees may operate one or more schools in the district on a four-day weekly calendar pursuant to regulations adopted by the State Board of Education, subject to approval by the State Department of Education.
(2) To operate a school on a four-day weekly calendar, a district first must submit a proposed four-day school schedule plan to the department for approval. The proposed plan must:
(a) meet the equivalent number of instructional hours of the statutory school term; and
(b) conform annual salaries for certified teachers accordingly, taking into account scheduled staff development days.
(3) A proposed plan must be submitted to the department before June first of the calendar year in which the four-day weekly calendar schedule would be implemented. The department shall review and either approve or deny the request within thirty days of receipt, and notify the district within twenty-four hours of reaching a decision to approve or deny. If the department denies a request, it shall provide a written explanation of its decision.
(4) A school operating on a four-day weekly calendar must be used in calculating the average daily membership for the district."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor.
