Senate Bill 654 - COVID-19 Relief for Public Schools

• State Board of Education shall not calculate or display school performance grades and letter grades for the 2021-2022 school year based on 2020-2021 data, and shall display only minimum federal accountability reporting required under ESEA waiver.

• State Board shall not identify new low-performing schools, continually low-performing schools, or low-performing school administrative units based on 2020-2021 data; previously identified low-performing schools shall continue their approved improvement plans.

• Public school units may use up to 5 remote instruction days or 30 hours (or up to 15 days or 90 hours with good cause waiver) to satisfy instructional calendar requirements when schools cannot open due to emergency situations.

• Public school units may provide virtual instruction during 2021-2022 with parental consent under approved plans submitted by October 1, 2021; virtual instruction cannot satisfy minimum instructional requirements after June 30, 2022, except for units that operated virtual schools as of May 1, 2021.

• Schools shall adopt monthly policies on face coverings for employees and students; teacher licensure applicants with expired licenses have extensions through December 31, 2021; students may graduate without CPR instruction if unable to complete due to COVID-19 emergency.