School Calendar WVBE Policy 3234 Revised 2017 West Virginia Department of Education Division of Teaching and Learning

Reminder of major legislative changes include: Public Hearings – MUST hold at least 2 public hearings each year before adopting a school calendar for the upcoming year Instructional Term – MUST provide 180 separate days of instructions Length of Instructional Term – The beginning and closing days of the minimum 200-day employment term has been extended from 43 to 48 weeks

Reminder of major legislative changes include: Recovery of Lost Instructional Time – MUST develop a local policy that requires the recovery of all instructional time lost due to late arrivals and early dismissals Outside of School Environment (OS) Days – MUST schedule 4 of the 6 OS days after the 130th instructional day

Making up Lost Instructional Time Required by WVC §18-5-45 (d) WVC §18A-5-2 specifies that time lost due to school closures are not to be counted as meeting a part of the requirements of the minimum of 180 days of instruction.

Employment Term vs. Instructional Term WVC §18-5-45 specifies that county boards must provide an employment term for employees of at least 200 days The beginning and closing dates of the employment term may not exceed 48 weeks. Within the employment term, an instructional term of no less than 180 days is required.

Faculty Senate meetings - Neither Code or policy eliminate or diminish the requirements for boards to provide time for faculty senates to meet for 5 two-hour blocks of time during the school year, of which all are required to be no more than 45 days apart. Public hearings – Required by Code to provide all interested parties the opportunity to provide input in the development of the school calendar.

School Calendar Guidance General Provisions

General All county boards of education must prepare a school calendar and submit to the Division of Teaching and Learning for review. Multi-County Vocational Centers are NOT required to submit a calendar to the Division of Teaching and Learning. If there are any schools in the county that operate on a different schedule, that calendar must also be submitted for review and approval. Calendars must be prepared in Excel using the new WVDE automated calendar form found at http://wvde.state.wv.us/calendar/blank-form.html

Contact Information Questions regarding the school calendar should be addressed to the Division of Teaching and Learning at (304)558-9994 or via email: Teresa Hammond, Assistant Director thammond@k12.wv.us

Calendar Revisions During the School Year School boards have the authority to make revisions to their approved school calendars throughout the school year, but since the original calendars require the approval of the State Superintendent before adoption, any changes affecting the rescheduling of dates also require prior approval. This applies only to a change in scheduled dates; it does not apply to the use of noninstructional days to make-up canceled instructional days when the noninstructional days are not being moved.

Submission Information Due Date - May 5, 2017 Submit Excel calendars and graduation date schedules to the Division of Teaching and Learning to: Teresa Hammond, Assistant Director thammond@k12.wv.us