File: IC/ICA - School Year/School Calendar/Instruction Time

NOTE: While Colorado school districts are not required by law to adopt a policy on this subject, some content in this sample reflects legal requirements school districts must follow. This sample contains the content/language that CASB believes best meets the intent of the law. However, the district should consult with its own legal counsel to determine appropriate language that meets local circumstances and needs.

Prior to the end of the school year, the Board must determine the length of time during which district schools must be in session during the next school year. The number of hours/days of planned teacher-student instruction and of teacher-student contact must be consistent with the Board's definition of "actively engaged in the educational process," must meet or exceed the requirements of state law, and must include a sufficient number of days to allow the superintendent flexibility in preparing a calendar that supports the district’s educational objectives.

The Board defines "actively engaged in the educational process" as time when students are working toward achieving educational objectives under the supervision of a licensed teacher, including:

classroom instruction time
individual student work time while at school, including study hall and library research
school-related field trips
independent study insofar as such study is allowed under district policy
assemblies

NOTE: Starting the 2023-24 school year, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has discontinued all flexibilities for remote learning options to students enrolled in brick-and-mortar schools due to COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic and associated federal and state public emergencies, CDE provided various flexibilities for districts to provide 100% remote learning as well as temporary remote learning options, and Boards may have authorized temporary remote learning options through policy or resolutions. Boards should ensure that if they authorized temporary remote learning options during the 2022-23 school year or previous years, that any resolutions and policies have been reviewed, repealed, or updated.

"Actively engaged in the educational process" does not include:

lunch
time students spend before school waiting for classes to begin and time after the last class of the day, including waiting for the bus
recess time
teacher preparation time
passing periods between classes

NOTE: For everything except lunch, the Board has discretion when determining what it means to be “actively engaged in the educational process.” For example, the time between two classes or between a class and lunch period known as “passing time” may be included in the definition when the school calendar is developed. If the Board intends to include passing time, then it should include that bulleted point under the definition of “actively engaged in the educational process” in the first set of bullets above and delete it from those activities that are not included in the definition.

Supervision by a licensed teacher must not require that the teacher be in the student’s physical presence at all times, but that the teacher is exercising direction and control over the nature of the student’s activities.

The district calendar for the next school year must be prepared by the superintendent and presented to the Board for approval in the spring of each year. The superintendent must consult with other districts in the area when preparing the calendar.

The Board authorizes the administration in each school building to issue a school calendar based on the district calendar and in accordance with this policy. Administrators are encouraged to examine instruction time and calendar issues in the context of supporting the district’s educational objectives.

Calendars must include the dates for all staff in-service programs scheduled for the upcoming school year. The administration will allow public input from parents and teachers prior to scheduling the dates for staff in-service programs.

A copy of the calendar must be provided to all parents/guardians of students enrolled in district schools. Any change in the calendar except for emergency closings or other unforeseen circumstances must be preceded by adequate and timely notice of no less than 30 days.

(Adoption date)

LEGAL REFS.: C.R.S. 22-1-112 (school year and national holidays)

C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(n) (duty to determine school year and instruction hours)

C.R.S. 22-33-102 (1) (definition of academic year)

C.R.S. 22-33-104 (1) (compulsory attendance law)

C.R.S. 22-44-115.5 (fiscal emergency)

1 CCR 301-39, Rules 2254-R-2.06 (school year and instruction hours; definition of contact/instruction time)

CROSS REFS.: EBCE, School Closings and Cancellations

JH, Student Absences and Excuses

NOTE: State law establishes the school year as outlined below. The actual hours of teacher-student instruction may be reduced for parent/teacher conferences, staff in-service programs, and closings due to student health, safety, or welfare concerns to 1056 hours for secondary students, 968 hours for elementary students other than kindergartners, 870 hours for full-day kindergarten students, and 435 hours for half-day kindergarten students. In no case may a school schedule fewer than 160 days without specific prior approval of the commissioner of education, whether utilizing in-person instruction or remote learning (synchronous and asynchronous) time. [C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(n)].

Teacher-Pupil Instruction Minimum Hours/Days

Half-Day Kindergarten 450 hours (can be reduced* to 435 hours) 160 days
Full-Day Kindergarten 900 hours (can be reduced* to 870 hours) 160 days
Elementary (besides kindergarten) 990 hours (can be reduced* to 968 hours) 160 days
Secondary 1,080 hours (can be reduced* to 1,056 hours) 160 days

*Not more than 24 hours per school year may be used for parent/teacher conferences and staff in-service programs.

[Revised July 2023]