School Scheduling Amendments

10
53F-2-102
53G-6-705
0
School Scheduling Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Doug Welton
Senate Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill creates a minimum credit hour requirement rather than a day or instructional hour
requirement for certain grades in the public education system.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
creates a minimum credit hour requirement rather than a day or instructional hour
requirement for certain grades in the public education system; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53F-2-102
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 17
53G-6-705
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 340
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
53F-2-102
is amended to read:
53F-2-102
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1)
"Attendance-validated program" means an educational program where:
(a)
student participation is measured by physical or virtual attendance at scheduled
instructional periods; and
(b)
a student receives direct teacher interaction and instruction for the course or program
the student is enrolled in.
(1)
(2)
"Basic state-supported school program," "basic program," or "basic school
program" means public education programs for kindergarten, elementary, and secondary
school students that are operated and maintained for the amount derived by multiplying
the number of weighted pupil units for each school district or charter school by the value
established each year in the enacted public education budget, except as otherwise
provided in this chapter.
(2)
(3)
"LEA governing board" means a local school board or charter school governing
board.
(3)
(4)
"Pupil in average daily membership" or "ADM" means a full-day equivalent pupil.
(4)
(5)
(a)
"Minimum School Program" means the state-supported public school
programs for kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools as described in this
Subsection
(4)
(5)
.
(b)
The Minimum School Program established in school districts and charter schools
shall include the equivalent of a school term of nine months as determined by the
state board.
(c)
(i)
The state board shall establish

:
(A)
except as provided in Subsection
(5)(c)(i)(B)
,
the number of days or
equivalent instructional hours that school is held for an academic school year
.
,
allowing flexibility for elementary, middle, and junior high schools to adapt
schedules to align with high schools described in Subsection
(5)(c)(i)(B)
; and
(B)
for grades 9 through 12 that use an attendance-validated program, the number
of credits required to graduate high school based on one credit representing at
least 83 class hours, in lieu of a requirement of days or instructional hours.
(ii)
Education, enhanced by utilization of technologically enriched delivery systems,
when approved by an LEA governing board, shall receive full support by the state
board as it pertains to fulfilling the attendance requirements, excluding time spent
viewing commercial advertising.
(d)
(i)
An LEA governing board may reallocate up to 32 instructional hours or four
school days established under Subsection
(4)(c)
(5)(c)
for teacher preparation
time or teacher professional development.
(ii)
A reallocation of instructional hours or school days under Subsection
(4)(d)(i)
(5)(d)(i)
is subject to the approval of two-thirds of the members of an LEA
governing board voting in a regularly scheduled meeting:
(A)
at which a quorum of the LEA governing board is present; and
(B)
held in compliance with
Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act
.
(iii)
If an LEA governing board reallocates instructional hours or school days as
provided by this Subsection
(4)(d)
(5)(d)
, the school district or charter school
shall notify students' parents of the school calendar at least:
(A)
90 days before the beginning of the school year; or
(B)
for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, due to circumstances within
the LEA or a given school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 14 calendar
days before the reallocated instructional hours or school days.
(iv)
Instructional hours or school days reallocated for teacher preparation time or
teacher professional development
pursuant to
in accordance with
this Subsection
(4)(d)
(5)(d)
is considered part of a school term referred to in Subsection
(4)(b)
(5)(b)
.
(e)
The Minimum School Program includes a program or allocation funded by a line
item appropriation or other appropriation designated as follows:
(i)
Basic School Program;
(ii)
Related to Basic Programs;
(iii)
Voted and Board Levy Programs; or
(iv)
Minimum School Program.
(5)
(6)
"Weighted pupil unit
or units
"
or
"
WPU
or WPUs
" means the unit of measure of
factors that is computed in accordance with this chapter for the purpose of determining
the costs of a program on a uniform basis for each school district or charter school.
Section 2. Section
53G-6-705
is amended to read:
53G-6-705
. Online students' participation in extracurricular activities.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Association" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53G-7-1101
.
(b)
"Extracurricular activity" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53G-7-501
.
(c)
"Initial establishment of eligibility requirements" means the same as that term is
defined in Section
53G-6-703
.
(d)
"Online education" means the use of information and communication technologies to
deliver educational opportunities to a student in a location other than a school.
(e)
"Online student" means a student who:
(i)
participates in an online education program sponsored or supported by the state
board, a school district, or a charter school; and
(ii)
generates funding for the school district or the school
pursuant to
in accordance
with
Subsection
53F-2-102(4)
53F-2-102(5)
and rules of the state board.
(2)
An online student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity at:
(a)
the school with attendance boundaries within which the student's custodial parent
resides, if, for an interscholastic competition of athletic teams, the student did not
initially establish the student's eligibility at another public school in grade 9 or 10; or
(b)
the public school from which the student withdrew for the purpose of participating in
an online education program.
(3)
A public school other than a school described in Subsection
(2)
may allow an online
student to participate in an extracurricular activity that the public school sponsors and
supports if:
(a)
for interschool competitions of athletic teams sponsored and supported by a public
school, the online school student meets the initial establishment of eligibility
requirements;
(b)
for interschool contests or competitions for music, drama, or forensic groups or
teams sponsored and supported by a public school, the online school student meets
the entry requirements for participation;
(c)
the online school student meets the eligibility requirements under this section; and
(d)
the online school student meets the enrollment requirements for public school in
accordance with
Part 4, School District Enrollment
.
(4)
An online student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity at a public
school consistent with eligibility standards as applied to full-time students of the public
school.
(5)
A school district or public school may not impose additional requirements on an online
school student to participate in an extracurricular activity that are not imposed on
full-time students of the public school.
(6)
(a)
The state board shall make rules establishing fees for an online school student's
participation in an extracurricular activity at school district schools.
(b)
The rules shall provide that:
(i)
online school students pay the same fees as other students to participate in an
extracurricular activity;
(ii)
online school students are eligible for fee waivers pursuant to Section
53G-7-504
;
(iii)
for each online school student who participates in an extracurricular activity at a
school district school, the online school shall pay a share of the school district's
costs for the extracurricular activity; and
(iv)
an online school's share of the costs of an extracurricular activity shall reflect
state and local tax revenues expended, except capital facilities expenditures, for an
extracurricular activity in a school district or school divided by total student
enrollment of the school district or school.
(c)
In determining an online school's share of the costs of an extracurricular activity
under Subsections
(6)(b)(iii)
and
(iv)
, the state board may establish uniform fees
statewide based on average costs statewide or average costs within a sample of
school districts.
(7)
When selection to participate in an extracurricular activity at a public school is made on
a competitive basis, an online student is eligible to try out for and participate in the
activity as provided in this section.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
July 1, 2026
.
3-12-26 9:27 AM