JB JB - ABSENCES FOR SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES The length of the school year shall be 180 days. A school may use a maximum of three of the 180 days for non-instructional activities. Students' absences for non-instructional school-sponsored activities shall not exceed ten days per year. No one class period may be missed by any student more than ten times per year for non-instructional school-sponsored activities. There shall be a minimum of 51/2 hours of instruction in grades K-3 and 6 hours of instruction in grades 4-12, exclusive of lunch and recess. Afternoon bus schedules shall begin after the completion of the instructional day. Pre-school and Head Start programs shall operate for a minimum of 61/2 hours per day Including breaks and lunch in compliance with the Office of School Readiness. Instructional times for students with special needs shall reflect the provisions of their IEP's. Absences of children in pre-school programs (e.g. Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, Programs for Children with Special Needs) shall be governed by the specific regulations of the program the child attends. The superintendent shall set daily starting and ending times for schools with approval by the board of education. Instructional Activity: Instructional activity is defined as time spent on instruction, which is directly related to course content. Testing, counseling and health screening are considered instructional activities. Principals shall maintain sufficient records to document compliance with this policy. Adopted: August 14, 1984 Revised: August 13, 1985 Revised: November 13, 2001