APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 31, 2023 124
BY GOVERNOR RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
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H.P. 638 - L.D. 1002
Resolve, Directing the Department of Education to Study the School Day
Sec. 1. Department of Education to study the school day. Resolved: That the
Department of Education shall convene a working group to study the school day. The
working group must include, but is not limited to, members representing school
administrators from high schools, middle schools and elementary schools, a parent of a
student, a student, a mental health clinician, a pediatrician, a school nutritionist and a
member representing a statewide association of curriculum leaders. The department shall
invite any other stakeholders to participate, as appropriate. The study must be informed by
relevant research conducted by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute and the
department shall work in conjunction with the Maine Education Policy Research Institute,
as appropriate. In studying the school day, the working group shall consider, at a minimum,
the following:
1. Statewide, national and international approaches to the school day;
2. Instructional requirements for graduation, including but not limited to instruction in
health and physical education, traffic safety education, elements of a firearm hunter safety
course and a stand-alone course in personal finance;
3. Educator planning and preparation time;
4. Lunch periods, including but not limited to transit time and time required to eat;
5. Recess periods, including the timing of recess before or after lunch periods,
frequency of recess periods and differences in recess periods at each grade level;
6. Electives and allied arts courses;
7. To the extent offered, after-school and extended day programs; and
8. School day start times.
Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That, no later than February 1, 2024, the Department of
Education shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including
suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.
The joint standing committee may report out a bill related to the report to the Second
Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.
Page 1 - 131LR0567(05)