H.F. 534 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 19, Code 2011, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 19. Define the minimum school day as a day consisting 3 of five and one-half hours of instructional time for grades 4 one through twelve. The minimum hours as time spent with a 5 licensed teacher that shall be exclusive of the lunch period 6 and parent-teacher conferences , but may include passing time 7 between classes. Time spent on parent-teacher conferences 8 shall be considered instructional time. A school or school 9 district may record a day of school with less than the minimum 10 instructional hours as a minimum school day if any of the 11 following apply: 12 a. If emergency health or safety factors require the late 13 arrival or early dismissal of students on a specific day. 14 b. If the total hours of instructional school time for 15 grades one through twelve for any five consecutive school days 16 equal a minimum of twenty-seven and one-half hours, even though 17 any one day of school is less than the minimum instructional 18 hours because of a staff development opportunity provided for 19 the professional instructional staff or because parent-teacher 20 conferences have been scheduled beyond the regular school day. 21 Furthermore, if the total hours of instructional time for the 22 first four consecutive days equal at least twenty-seven and 23 one-half hours because parent-teacher conferences have been 24 scheduled beyond the regular school day, a school or school 25 district may record zero hours of instructional time on the 26 fifth consecutive school day as a minimum school day. 27 Sec. 2. Section 256F.4, subsection 5, Code 2011, is amended 28 to read as follows: 29 5. A charter school or innovation zone school shall provide 30 instruction for at least the number of days hours required by 31 section 279.10, subsection 1 , or shall provide at least the 32 equivalent number of total hours . 33 Sec. 3. Section 279.10, Code 2011, is amended to read as 34 follows: 35 -1- LSB 1686HV (2) 84 kh/nh 1/ 5

H.F. 534 279.10 School year —— beginning date instructional hours —— 1 exceptions —— pilot programs . 2 1. The school year for each school district and accredited 3 nonpublic school shall begin on the first day of July 1 and 4 each regularly established elementary and secondary school 5 shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week 6 in which the first day of September falls but no later than 7 the first Monday in December. However, if the first day of 8 September falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day during 9 the calendar week which immediately precedes the first day of 10 September. School shall continue for at least one hundred 11 eighty days, except as provided in subsection 3 , and may be 12 maintained end on June 30 and each school calendar shall 13 include not less than one thousand eighty hours of instruction 14 during the entire calendar year. However, if The board of 15 directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of 16 an accredited nonpublic school shall set the number of days of 17 required attendance for the school year as provided in section 18 299.1, subsection 2, but the board of directors of a school 19 district shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school 20 calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. If the board 21 of directors of a district or the authorities in charge of an 22 accredited nonpublic school extends the school calendar because 23 inclement weather caused the school district or accredited 24 nonpublic school to temporarily close school during the regular 25 school calendar, the school district or accredited nonpublic 26 school may excuse a graduating senior who has met district 27 or school requirements for graduation from attendance during 28 the extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin 29 employment of personnel for in-service training and development 30 purposes before the date to begin elementary and secondary 31 school July 1 . 32 2. The board of directors shall hold a public hearing on any 33 proposal prior to submitting it to the department of education 34 for approval. 35 -2- LSB 1686HV (2) 84 kh/nh 2/ 5

H.F. 534 3. The board of directors of a school district may request 1 approval from the department of education for a pilot program 2 for an innovative school year. The number of days per year 3 that school is in session may be more or less than those 4 specified in subsection 1 , but the innovative school year shall 5 provide for an equivalent number of total hours that school is 6 in session. 7 a. The board shall file a request for approval with the 8 department not later than November 1 of the preceding school 9 year. The request shall include a listing of the savings and 10 goals to be attained under the innovative school year subject 11 to rules adopted by the department under chapter 17A . The 12 department shall notify the districts of the approval or denial 13 of pilot programs not later than the next following January 15. 14 b. A request to continue an innovative school year pilot 15 project after its initial year also shall include an evaluation 16 of the savings and impacts on the educational program in the 17 district. 18 c. Participation in a pilot project shall not modify 19 provisions of a master contract negotiated between a school 20 district and a certified bargaining unit pursuant to chapter 21 20 unless mutually agreed upon. 22 4. The director of the department of education may 23 grant a request made by a board of directors of a school 24 district stating its desire to commence classes for regularly 25 established elementary and secondary schools prior to the 26 earliest starting date specified in subsection 1 . A request 27 shall be based upon the determination that a starting date on 28 or after the earliest starting date specified in subsection 1 29 would have a significant negative educational impact. 30 Sec. 4. Section 299.4, subsection 1, Code 2011, is amended 31 to read as follows: 32 1. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child 33 who is of compulsory attendance age, who places the child 34 under competent private instruction under either section 35 -3- LSB 1686HV (2) 84 kh/nh 3/ 5

H.F. 534 299A.2 or 299A.3 , not in an accredited school or a home school 1 assistance program operated by a school district or accredited 2 nonpublic school, shall furnish a report in duplicate on forms 3 provided by the public school district, to the district by the 4 earliest starting date specified in section 279.10, subsection 5 1 September 1 of the school year in which the child will be 6 under competent private instruction . The secretary shall 7 retain and file one copy and forward the other copy to the 8 district’s area education agency. The report shall state the 9 name and age of the child, the period of time during which the 10 child has been or will be under competent private instruction 11 for the year, an outline of the course of study, texts used, 12 and the name and address of the instructor. The parent, 13 guardian, or legal custodian of a child, who is placing the 14 child under competent private instruction for the first time, 15 shall also provide the district with evidence that the child 16 has had the immunizations required under section 139A.8 , and, 17 if the child is elementary school age, a blood lead test in 18 accordance with section 135.105D . The term “outline of course 19 of study” shall include subjects covered, lesson plans, and time 20 spent on the areas of study. 21 Sec. 5. REPEAL. Sections 256.20 and 256.22, Code 2011, are 22 repealed. 23 Sec. 6. REPEAL. Section 257.17, Code 2011, is repealed. 24 Sec. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect July 1, 2012. 25 EXPLANATION 26 This bill strikes language requiring accredited schools 27 to provide at least 180 instructional days in a school year 28 beginning no sooner than a day during the calendar week in 29 which the first day of September falls but no later than the 30 first Monday in December, and specifying what does and what 31 does not constitute instructional time. The bill replaces the 32 language requiring a 180-day school calendar with a requirement 33 that accredited schools provide at least 1,080 instructional 34 hours during the school calendar in a school year that begins 35 -4- LSB 1686HV (2) 84 kh/nh 4/ 5

H.F. 534 July 1 and ends June 30. 1 The school districts and accredited nonpublic schools set 2 the number of days of required attendance for the school year, 3 but school districts must hold a public hearing on a proposed 4 school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. 5 The bill modifies a provision requiring the state board 6 of education to define the minimum school day. Under the 7 bill, instructional time for grades 1 through 12, is still 8 exclusive of the lunch period and may include passing time 9 between classes, but parent-teacher conferences do not qualify 10 as instructional time. The bill strikes language that permits 11 a school or school district to record a day of school with 12 less than the minimum instructional hours as a minimum school 13 day for emergency health or safety factors and for staff 14 development opportunities. 15 The bill makes conforming changes, including giving a 16 parent, whose child is under competent private instruction, 17 until September 1 to furnish a report providing information 18 about the child and the competent private instruction to the 19 school district of residence. The bill strikes or repeals 20 language that permits the department of education to approve 21 an innovative school year pilot program, permits the director 22 of the department to grant a waiver to allow schools to start 23 prior to the school calendar earliest start date, permits the 24 state board of education to approve year around school pilot 25 projects, requires the department to establish an extended year 26 school grant program subject to an appropriation, and penalizes 27 school districts that have not received a waiver for beginning 28 school before the earliest start date allowed. 29 The bill takes effect July 1, 2012. 30 -5- LSB 1686HV (2) 84 kh/nh 5/ 5