MO SB751

School boards must prepare annual calendars with minimum 174 days for five-day weeks or 142 days for four-day weeks, plus 1,044 hours of actual pupil attendance.

School districts cannot start before ten calendar days prior to the first Monday in September unless the school board holds a public meeting and approves an earlier date by majority vote.

School districts violating opening date requirements face withholding of one quarter of state funding under section 163.031 for each violation date.

Standard five-day school weeks are limited to seven-hour days, except vocational schools in metropolitan districts or first-class counties may adopt eight-hour days, or any district may adopt eight hours by board resolution with majority approval.

School boards adopting eight-hour days must notify the commissioner of education within thirty days; exemptions from opening date rules may be granted by the state board for highly unusual circumstances, valid for one academic year only.