§154.1. Length of school day and year; requirements
A.(1) The minimum school day for grades one through twelve in every public school
in the state shall consist of three hundred sixty minutes of instructional time, exclusive of all
recesses. The minimum school year shall consist of one hundred seventy-seven days of
instruction. However, in order to provide teacher training, provide for the safety and well-being of students, or implement other educational reform efforts, any governing authority of
a public elementary or secondary school may authorize some or all of its schools to modify
the total number of instructional minutes per day and instructional days per year as long as
the total number of instructional minutes per year is no less than the minimum number of
instructional minutes per day multiplied by the minimum number of instructional days as
required by this Section.
(2) Each governing authority of a public elementary or secondary school shall adopt
policies which require its elementary schools to dedicate any instructional time beyond that
offered during the 1997-1998 school year to the study of those subjects for which content
standards have been adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,
with specific emphasis in the lower grades on teaching mathematics and reading or language
arts. Each governing authority of a public elementary or secondary school shall encourage,
to the extent possible, the secondary schools in its system to utilize such additional
instructional time for similar purposes.
(3) Effective for the 2002-2003 school year and thereafter, the provisions of
Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not be applicable to any city, parish, or other local
public school or school system which cannot meet the minimum requirements for
instructional time as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection for any given school year
due to school closure, when such school closure occurs within the last thirty calendar days
of the school year, for reasons of natural catastrophe or disaster as certified by the state
superintendent of education and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Education.
Such certification and approval shall be in accordance with criteria established pursuant to
rules and regulations adopted by the board for such purpose. Such rules and regulations shall
include but shall not be limited to a requirement that any city, parish, or other local public
school or school system not able to meet the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection
shall submit to the state superintendent of education in accordance with time lines
established by the board documented information explaining the reasons why such school
or school system cannot meet such requirements and any efforts made by the school or
school system toward meeting the requirements. The provisions of this Paragraph shall apply
to an entire school system only if every school within the system is forced to close for
reasons as provided in this Paragraph.
(4) Repealed by Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 41, §2, eff. June 12, 2011.
(5)(a) Effective for the 2005-2006 school year, the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this
Subsection shall not be applicable to any city, parish, or other local public school or school
system which cannot meet the minimum requirements for instructional time as provided in
Paragraph (1) of this Subsection for the 2005-2006 school year due to school closure for
reasons of natural catastrophe or disaster as certified by the state superintendent of education
and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
(b) Such certification and approval shall be in accordance with criteria established
pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board for such purpose. Such rules and
regulations shall include but shall not be limited to requirements that:
(i) Any city, parish, or other local public school or school system not able to meet
the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall submit to the state superintendent
of education, in accordance with time lines established by the board, documented
information explaining the reasons why such school or school system cannot meet such
requirements and any efforts made by the school or school system toward meeting the
requirements and a revised school calendar for the 2005-2006 school year.
(ii) Schools and school systems subject to such certification and approval comply
with the revised school calendar submitted to the state superintendent and any changes in
such calendar that the board may require.
(c) The provisions of this Paragraph shall apply to an entire school system only if
every school within the system is forced to close for reasons as provided in this Paragraph.
(6)(a) Effective for the 2016-2017 school year and thereafter, the provisions of
Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to any city, parish, or other public school that
cannot meet those requirements because the school temporarily shared facilities with another
school due to damages caused by a natural disaster or emergency that was declared by the
governor pursuant to R.S. 29:724 and that was certified by the state superintendent of
education and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as
provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph. The state board may require that the school
provide a minimum number of daily instructional minutes that is less than the requirements
set forth in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and provide other requirements it deems
necessary to support student learning.
(b) Such certification by the superintendent and approval by the board shall be in
accordance with criteria established pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board
for such purpose in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. Such rules and
regulations shall include but not be limited to a requirement that any such school not able to
meet the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall submit to the state
superintendent of education for approval, in accordance with time lines established by the
state board, documented information explaining why the school could not meet such
requirements, any efforts made by the school toward meeting the requirements, and a revised
school calendar for the affected school year.
B. With the authorization of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education, the local school superintendent shall have the authority to dismiss any or all
schools in his system due to emergency situations as defined by the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with rules and regulations of the board
which the board shall adopt as provided in the Administrative Procedure Act. Nothing
herein shall be construed to allow a school year to be less than one hundred seventy-seven
days of instruction, except as provided in Subsection A of this Section.
C. Each public school governing authority shall determine the school-year calendar
for the schools under its jurisdiction. Neither the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education nor the state Department of Education shall determine or require approval of a
calendar for any city, parish, or other local public school board in the state.
Acts 1985, No. 92, §1, eff. June 29, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 264, §1, eff. June 30, 1986;
H.C.R. No. 174, 1995 R.S.; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 160, §1, eff. July 1, 1998; Acts
2001, No. 815, §1; H.C.R. No. 1, 2003 R.S.; Acts 2003, No. 915, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts
2005, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 25, §1, eff. Nov. 29, 2005; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 41, §2, eff.
June 12, 2011; Acts 2017, No. 365, §1, eff. June 23, 2017; Acts 2022, No. 323, §1.