SC S0708

School districts may apply to the Department of Education for flexibility waivers allowing deviation from statutory and regulatory requirements to improve student engagement, instructional quality, and teacher recruitment and retention

Approved districts may implement alternative scheduling models including four-day instructional weeks, compressed schedules, and redesigned school calendars based on local priorities rather than the standard 190-day teacher contract and 180-day student attendance requirements

Districts with waivers may use district-designed assessment schedules that are less time-intensive than current statewide practice, including the option to use a single state-supported formative assessment as the sole accountability metric for grades K-8

Waivers are valid for up to three years and renewable; districts must submit annual reports including student achievement data, teacher retention data, and stakeholder feedback

Applications must include stakeholder engagement documentation, plans for covering state academic standards, and evaluation methods, with the Department required to approve or deny within 90 days