Instructional Time Policies
What is the state’s requirement of minimum number of days or hours/minutes in a school year?
January 2020
There are many exceptions to instructional time requirements across states, and not all of them are indicated in this 50-State Comparison. Unless otherwise indicated, states that have hours/minutes per year and days per year require both. View the full instructional time 50-State Comparison here.
|
STATE
|
What is the state's requirement
for minimum number of days in a school year? |
What is the state's requirement
for minimum number of hours or minutes in a school year? |
Notes on school year
|
Citation for school year
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 175 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours Grades 1-5: 900 hours Grades 6-8: 1,050 hours Grades 9-12: 1,100 hours |
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-301 Wyo. Admin. Code 206.0002.22 § 5 |
|
| Wisconsin | N/A | Kindergarten: 437 hours Grades 1-6: 1,050 hours Grades 7-12: 1,137 hours |
Includes recess and passage time between classes but does not include the lunch period. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 121.02 |
| Washington | Kindergarten: 180 half-days Grades 1-12: 180 days |
Kindergarten: 450 hours Grades 1-8: 1,000 hours Grades 9-12: 1,080 hours |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.150.220 | |
| West Virginia | 180 days | N/A | W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-5-45 | |
| Vermont | 175 days | N/A | Must also include at least 5 teacher in-service days. | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, § 1071 |
| Virginia | 180 days | Kindergarten: 540 hours Grades 1-12: 990 hours |
Days or hours. | Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-79.1 Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-98 |
| Utah | 180 days | 990 hours | Up to 3 days may be used for parent-teacher and college/career readiness conferences. Up to 4 days may be used for professional development. Up to 16.5 hours may be used for parent-teacher and college/career readiness conferences. Excludes lunch periods and passing time. Up to 32 hours may be used for professional development. |
Utah Admin. Code r. R277-419-4 |
| Texas | N/A | 75,600 minutes | Includes time for instruction, intermission and recess. For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: 1,260 hours |
Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.081 |
| Tennessee | 180 days | N/A | Must also schedule 5 days for in-service and 1 day for teacher-parent conferences. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004 |
| South Dakota | Set by the local school board. | Kindergarten: 437.5 hours Grades 1-5: 875 hours Grades 6-12: 962.5 hours |
Excludes intermissions for grades 1-12. School boards may release seniors prior to the end of the school year. May include 16.5 hours for teacher-parent conference, and 5.5 of those hours may be used for teacher training. |
S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-1 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-2 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-4 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-4.1 |
| South Carolina | 180 days | N/A | School districts must designate 3 days for make-up days, 3 days for professional development, no more than 2 days for preparation of opening of schools, and up to 5 days for teacher planning and parent conferences. | S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-425 |
| Oregon | N/A | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours Grades K-8: 900 hours Grades 9-11: 990 hours Grade 12: 966 hours |
Recess may count towards instructional time for a certain number of hours through grade 3. 30 hours may be used for parent teacher conferences. |
Or. Admin. R. 581-022-2320 |
| Oklahoma | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the minimum hours must be met within 165 days of instruction. A school district must not count more than 30 hours of professional development towards the hourly requirement. |
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 1-109 |
| Ohio | Set by the board of education of each city. | Kindergarten: 450 hours Full-day K-6: 910 hours Grades 7-12: 1,001 hours |
Up to 2 days equivalent may be used for parent-teacher conferences and reporting, and up to 2 days equivalent may be used for professional development. Excludes lunch and breakfast periods and extracurricular activites. Includes morning and afternoon recess periods of not more than 15 minutes for pupils in kindergarten through 6th grade. |
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3313.48 |
| Nevada | 180 days | N/A | May include up to 5 days for teachers' conferences. Alternative schedules can be approved in certain circumstances so long as they provide equal to or greater than the number of minutes of instruction that would be provided on a 180 day schedule. |
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.090 Nev. Admin. Code 387.120 Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.090 |
| Nebraska | N/A | Kindergarten: 400 hours Grades 1-8: 1,032 hours Grades 9-12: 1,080 |
Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-211 Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-212 |
|
| New York | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours Full-day K-6: 900 hours Grades 7-12: 990 hours |
N.Y. Educ. Law § 3604 N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8, § 175.5 |
|
| New Mexico | N/A | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours Full-day K-6: 990 hours Grades 7-12: 1,080 hours |
Excludes lunch. Some hours may be used for home visits or for parent-teacher conferences, depending on grade level. |
N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-2-8.1 |
| New Jersey | 180 days | N/A | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A:7F-9 | |
| New Hampshire | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours Elementary schools: 945 hours Middle and High schools: 990 hours |
Days or hours. High school seniors may graduate up to 5 days early. |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 189:1 N.H. Code Admin. R. § 18 |
| North Dakota | N/A | Half-day Kindergarten: 481.25 hours Grades K-5: 962.5 hours Grades 6-12: 1,050 hours |
No more than 2 days may be scheduled for parent-teacher conferences. At least 3 days of professional development must be scheduled, not including meals or breaks. |
N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-22-02 N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-06-04 |
| North Carolina | 185 days | 1,025 hours | Days or hours. | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-84.2 |
| Montana | Set by the trustees of a school district. | Half-day Kindergarten: 360 hours Full-day K-3: 720 hours Grades 4-12: 1,080 hours |
Pupil-instruction-related days and inservice training may not be included as part of the required minimum aggregate hours. Graduating seniors are only required to attend 1,050 hours. |
Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-301 Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-302 Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-304 |
| Missouri | No minimum school days are required. | Kindergarten: 522 hours Other Grades: 1,044 hours |
Mo. Ann. Stat. § 171.031 Mo. Ann. Stat. § 163.021 |
|
| Mississippi | 180 days | N/A | Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-63 | |
| Minnesota | Grades 1-11: 165 days | Kindergarten: 425 hours All-day Kindergarten: 850 hours Grades 1-6: 935 hours Grades 7-12: 1,020 hours |
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.41 | |
| Michigan | 180 days | 1,098 hours | Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 388.1701 | |
| Maine | 180 days | N/A | May include 5 days for in service education of teachers, administrative meetings, parent-teacher conferences, records' days and similar activites. Seniors may be allowed up to graduate five days prior to the end of the regular school year. |
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 20-A, § 4801 |
| Maryland | 180 days | 1,080 hours 1,170 hours for public high schools |
Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-103 Md. Code Regs. 13A.03.02.12 |
|
| Louisiana | 177 days | 63,720 minutes | Days or minutes. For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: 1,062 hours. |
La. Stat. Ann. § 17:154.1 28 La. Admin. Code Pt CXV, 333 |
| Kentucky | 170 days | 1,062 hours | Must also include 4 professional development days. | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 158.070 |
| Kansas | Grades 1-11: 186 days Grade 12: 181 days |
Kindergarten: 465 hours Grades 1-11: 1,116 hours Grade 12: 1,086 hours |
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-3115 | |
| Iowa | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Iowa Code Ann. § 279.10 | |
| Indiana | 180 days | N/A | Ind. Code Ann. § 20-30-2-3 | |
| Idaho | Set by the board of trustees of each school district. | Kindergarten: 450 hours Grades 1-3: 810 hours Grades 4-8: 900 hours Grades 9-12: 990 hours |
Up to 22 hours for staff development activities. Transportation to and from school, passing time between classes, recess and lunch periods are not included. |
Idaho Code Ann. § 33-512 |
| Hawaii | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Excludes professional development and other non-instructional days. Does not apply to charter and multi-track schools. | Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 302A-251 |
| Georgia | 180 days | N/A | Or equivalent. Up to 10 hours of parent-teacher conferences can count towards instructional time. Recess and lunch are not considered instructional time. Testing, counseling, and health screenings are considered instructional time. |
Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-168 |
| Florida | 180 days | Grades K-3: 720 hours Grades 4-12: 900 hours |
Days or hours. | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1011.61 Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1001.42 |
| Delaware | N/A | Grades K-11: 1,060 hours Grade 12: 1,032 hours |
Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 1049 | |
| District of Columbia | 180 days | N/A | D.C. Code Ann. § 38-2901 | |
| Connecticut | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours Full-day K-12: 900 hours |
Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-16 | |
| Colorado | 160 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours Full-day Kindergarten: 900 hours Grades 1-5: 990 hours Grades 6-12: 1,080 hours |
Required hours may include time for parent-teacher conferences, staff in-service programs, and closing due to health, safety, or welfare concerns. | Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-32-109 |
| California | 180 days | Kindergarten: 36,000 minutes Grades 1-3: 50,400 minutes Grades 4-8: 54,000 minutes Grades 9-12: 64,800 minutes |
For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: Kindergarten: 600 hours Grades 1-3: 840 hours Grades 4-8: 900 hours Grades 9-12: 1,080 hours. Select districts are required 175 days. |
Cal. Educ. Code § 46200 Cal. Educ. Code § 46201 |
| Arkansas | Set by the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas. | N/A | ADE Rules Governing the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts can be found here. | Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-108 |
| Arizona | 180 days | Grades 1-3: 712 hours Grades 4-8: 890 hours Grades 9-12: 720 hours |
Days or hours. Instructional hour requirement includes lunch. |
Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-901 Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-341.01 |
| Alaska | 180 days | Grades K-3: 740 hours Grades 4-12: 900 hours |
Days or hours. A day of in-service training of teachers can substitute for a day in session, up to a maximum of 10 days. |
Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.03.030 |
| Alabama | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. | Ala. Code § 16-13-231 |
| Massachusetts | 180 days | Kindergarten: 425 hours Grades 1-5: 900 hours Grades 6-12: 990 hours |
Schools must schedule at least 185 days. Seniors may graduate up to 12 days early. Breakfast and lunch, passing between classes, homeroom, recess, non-directed study periods, school services, and optional school programs do not count towards instructional time. |
603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.03 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.04 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.05 |
| Pennsylvania | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours Grades 1-6: 900 hours Grades 7-12: 990 hours |
Can meet days or hours with approval from the Secretary of Education. | 22 Pa. Code § 11.1 22 Pa. Code § 11.3 |
| Rhode Island | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. | 16 R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 16-2-2 |
| Illinois | 185 days | N/A | Designed to insure 176 days of student attendance. | 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/10-19 |
| Puerto Rico | Set by the Secretary of Education. | Set by the Secretary of Education. | Must include 2 successive days per semester for holding meetings with parents of students and for professional development. | § 145t Academic duties and obligations of the Secretary, 3 L.P.R.A. § 145t § 145n The academic year, 3 L.P.R.A. § 145n |