The bill amends the Texas Education Code to establish new requirements for the minimum number of instructional days and minutes that public schools must operate. Specifically, it mandates that each school district must operate for a minimum of 175 instructional days and at least 75,600 minutes of operation each school year, with certain exceptions for districts with fewer than 8,000 students. The bill also allows the commissioner of education to approve waivers for fewer instructional days or minutes in cases of disasters or other calamities. Additionally, it introduces a provision that permits school districts that adopt a four-day school week to maintain that schedule in subsequent years, unless their performance ratings fall below a certain threshold.

Furthermore, the bill includes various amendments to existing sections of the Education Code, such as clarifying the definitions of instructional time and operational minutes, and establishing rules for waivers related to school safety training. It also specifies that a juvenile justice alternative education program must operate for at least 175 days per year, with the possibility of waivers. The changes are set to take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year, unless the bill receives immediate approval from the legislature.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 25.081, Education Code 25.0815, Education Code 29.0822, Education Code 29.162, Education Code 37.011, Education Code 48.005, Education Code 48.0051 (Education Code 48, Education Code 37, Education Code 25, Education Code 29)