DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 212
September 28, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Length of
School Year |
The purpose
of this memorandum is to notify you of the provisions of Board of Education
regulations and the Code of Virginia
regarding reductions in the length of the school term. The procedures for
making up missed teaching days and hours are required by § 22.1-98
of the Code of Virginia and the Board
of Education’s Regulations Governing
Reduction of State Aid When Length of School Term Below 180 Teaching Days or
990 Teaching Hours, at 8 VAC 20-521-10.
The Code of Virginia, § 22.1-98,
requires that the length of every school’s term be at least 180 teaching days
or 990 teaching hours. This Code section also prescribes how school
divisions shall make up teaching days and teaching hours when severe weather
conditions or other emergency situations require the closing of a school or
schools in a school division. Severe
weather conditions or other emergency situations is defined as “those
circumstances presenting a threat to the health or safety of students that
result from severe weather conditions or other emergencies, including, but not
limited to, natural and man-made disasters, emergency shortages or power
failures.”
In accordance
with § 22.1-98
of the Code of Virginia, when severe
weather or other emergency situations result in the closing of a school or
schools in a school division, missed instructional time must be made up through
one of the following options:
In the event
of a declared state of emergency, the Board of Education may waive the
requirement that school divisions provide additional teaching days or teaching
hours to compensate for school closings.
A declared state of emergency is defined in § 22.1-98
as “the declaration of an emergency before or after an event, by the Governor
or by officials in a locality that requires the closure of any or all schools
within a school division.”
The Board of
Education regulations at 8 VAC 20-521-60 require school division
superintendents to certify by April 15 of each school year that they have read
and complied with the provisions regarding the length of the school year and
are implementing a plan to make up any missed time that has not been
waived. The Department of Education will
provide further instructions regarding this certification process early in
calendar year 2008.
The statute
and regulations contain additional information and requirements that have not
been covered in this memorandum.
Therefore, both § 22.1-98
of the Code of Virginia and the Board
of Education’s regulation are attached for your review.
If you have
questions or would like additional information, please contact the Office of
Policy at (804) 225-2092 or at policydata@doe.virginia.gov.
BKCJr/MJP/kfg
Attachments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf212a.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf212b.pdf