State rankings
Required School Days by State
Required School Days by State: compare 51 US states on 4 metrics.
Minimum Number of Days
17 values across 53 entries
Data
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51 states
 Alabama | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Ala. Code § 16-13-231 | May be measured in days or hours., In extreme circumstances involving natural occurrences, health-related occurrences, or other extenuating circumstances that result in the cancellation of an instructional day, a local board of education may submit a plan for the approval of … |
 Alaska | 180 days | Grades K-3: 740 hours, Grades 4-12: 900 hours | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.03.030 | May be measured in 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. |
 Arizona | 180 days | Grades 1-3: 712 hours, Grades 4-8: 890 hours+1 | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-901, Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-341.01 | May be measured in days or hours., Instructional hour requirement includes lunch. |
 Arkansas | Set by Standards for Accreditation | 1,068 hours | Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-108, Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-106 | — |
 California | 180 days | Kindergarten: 36,000 minutes, Grades 1-3: 50,400 minutes+2 | Cal. Educ. Code § 46200, Cal. Educ. Code § 46201+1 | For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to:, Kindergarten: 600 hours+4 |
 Colorado | 160 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day Kindergarten: 900 hours+2 | Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-32-109 | Required hours may include time for parent-teacher conferences, staff in-service programs, and closing due to health, safety, or welfare concerns. |
 Connecticut | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-12: 900 hours | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-16 | — |
 Delaware | Not specified | Grades K-11: 1,060 hours, Grade 12: 1,032 hours | Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 1049 | The number of hours in a school day for grades K-12 shall be at least 3.5 hours exclusive of lunch. |
 District of Columbia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | D.C. Code Ann. § 38-2901 | — |
 Florida | 180 days | Grades K-3: 720 hours, Grades 4-12: 900 hours | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1011.61, Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1001.42 | May be measured in days or hours. |
 Georgia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-168, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-5-1-.02 | Or equivalent., Up to 10 hours of parent-teacher conferences can count towards instructional time.+2 |
 Hawaii | 180 days | Grade 1-12: 1,080 hours | Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 302A-251, 2022-23 School Year | Excludes professional development and other non-instructional days., Does not apply to charter and multi-track schools.+1 |
 Idaho | Varies by district | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-3: 810 hours+3 | Idaho Code Ann. § 33-512 | Up to 22 hours for staff development activities., Transportation to and from school, passing time between classes, recess and lunch periods are not included. School assemblies, testing, and other instructionally related activities directly involving students may be included a… |
 Illinois | 185 days | Not specified in state policy | 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/10-19 | Designed to ensure 176 days of student attendance. |
 Indiana | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Ind. Code Ann. § 20-30-2-3 | — |
 Iowa | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Iowa Code Ann. § 279.10 | — |
 Kansas | 186 days (Grades 1-11), 181 days (Grade 12) | Kindergarten: 465 hours, Grades 1-11: 1,116 hours+1 | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-3115, School Year Requirement | Passing periods, organized recesses, activity periods, time between opening and closing bells can be considered part of a school day., Lunch and passing periods are not considered to be a part of the school day. |
 Kentucky | 170 days | 1,062 hours | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 158.070 | Must also include 4 professional development days. |
 Louisiana | 177 days | 63,720 minutes | La. Stat. Ann. § 17:154.1, 28 La. Admin. Code Pt CXV, 333 | Days or minutes., For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: 1,062 hours. |
 Maine | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 20-A, § 4801 | May include 5 days for in service education of teachers, administrative meetings, parent-teacher conferences, records' days and similar activities., Seniors may be allowed up to graduate five days prior to the end of the regular school year. |
 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 | 1,080 hours during a 10-month period in each school year., Maryland public high schools shall be open for at least 180 school days and a minimum of 1,170 school hours during a 10-month period in each school year. |
 Massachusetts | 180 days | Kindergarten: 425 hours, Grades 1-5: 900 hours+1 | 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.03, 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.04+2 | Schools must schedule at least 185 days., Seniors may graduate up to 12 days early.+1 |
 Michigan | 180 days | 1,098 hours | Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 388.1701, Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 380.1284 | Time during which there is no pupil instruction because of strikes or teachers' conferences shall not be counted as pupil instruction. |
 Minnesota | 165 days (Grades 1-11) | Kindergarten: 425 hours, All-day Kindergarten: 850 hours+2 | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.41 | — |
 Mississippi | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-63 | — |
 Missouri | No minimum | Kindergarten: 522 hours, Other Grades: 1,044 hours | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 171.031, Mo. Ann. Stat. § 160.041+1 | — |
 Montana | Varies by district | Half-day Kindergarten: 360 hours, Full-day K-3: 720 hours+1 | Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-301, Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-302+1 | Pupil-instruction-related days and in-service training may not be included as part of the required minimum aggregate hours., Graduating seniors are only required to attend 1,050 hours. |
 Nebraska | Not specified | Kindergarten: 400 hours, Grades 1-8: 1,032 hours+1 | Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-211, Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-212 | For all grades except pre-kindergarten, exclude lunchtime for instructional time. Recess and passing time may be counted, if so indicated in local Board policy. |
 Nevada | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.090, Nev. Admin. Code 387.120 | 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. |
 New Hampshire | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Elementary schools: 945 hours+1 | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 189:1, N.H. Code Admin. R. § 18 | May be measured in days or hours., High school seniors may graduate up to 5 days early.+2 |
 New Jersey | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A:7F-9 | — |
 New Mexico | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 990 hours+1 | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-2-8.1 | Excludes lunch., Some hours may be used for home visits or for parent-teacher conferences, depending on grade level. |
 New York | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 900 hours+1 | N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8, § 175.5 | — |
 North Carolina | 185 days | 1,025 hours | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-84.2 | May be measured in days or hours. |
 North Dakota | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 481.25 hours, Grades K-5: 962.5 hours+1 | N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-22-02, N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-06-04 | For a kindergarten instructional calendar equal to at least fifty percent of the full-time instructional days which would result in 481.25 hours., No more than 2 days may be scheduled for parent-teacher conferences.+1 |
 Ohio | Set by local board of education | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 910 hours+1 | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3313.48 | 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 activities.+1 |
 Oklahoma | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 1-109, Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 4516 | May be measured in days or hours., Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the minimum hours must be met within 165 days of instruction.+1 |
 Oregon | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades K-8: 900 hours+2 | Or. Admin. R. 581-022-2320 | Recess may count towards instructional time for a certain number of hours through grade 3., 30 hours may be used for parent teacher conferences. |
 Pennsylvania | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-6: 900 hours+1 | 22 Pa. Code § 11.1, 22 Pa. Code § 11.3+1 | Can meet days or hours with approval from the Secretary of Education. |
 Rhode Island | 180 days | 1,080 hours | 200 R.I. Code R. 20-05-1.7, 200 R.I. Code R. 20-05-1.8+2 | May be measured in days or hours., In case of an emergency, the school committee of any city or town with the approval of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education may reduce the number of school days to not less than one hundred seventy (170) days.+1 |
 South Carolina | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-425 | 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. |
 South Dakota | Set by local school board | Kindergarten: 437.5 hours, Grades 1-5: 875 hours+1 | S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-1, S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-2+2 | Excludes intermissions for grades 1-12, such as recess, lunch or passing time between classes., School boards may release seniors prior to the end of the school year.+1 |
 Tennessee | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004 | Must also schedule 5 days for in-service and 1 day for teacher-parent conferences. |
 Texas | Not specified | 75,600 minutes | Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.081 | Includes time for instruction, intermission and recess. |
 Utah | 180 days | 990 hours | Utah Admin. Code r. R277-419-5, Utah Admin. Code r. R277-419-8 | — |
 Vermont | 175 days | Not specified in state policy | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, § 1071 | — |
 Virginia | 180 days | Kindergarten-12: 990 hours | Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-79.1, Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-98 | — |
 Washington | 180 half-days (Kindergarten), 180 days (Grades 1-12) | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-8: 1,000 hours+1 | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.150.220 | — |
 West Virginia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-5-45 | — |
 Wisconsin | Not specified | Kindergarten: 437 hours, Grades 1-6: 1,050 hours+1 | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 121.02 | Includes recess and passage time between classes but does not include the lunch period. |
 Wyoming | 175 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Elementary: 900 hours+2 | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-301, Wyo. Admin. Code 206.0002.22 §3 | — |
Quick answers
- Where does this required school days by state data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Instructional Time Policies - Education Commission of the States; Minimum amount of instructional time per year and policies on textbooks, by state - National Center for Education Statistics.