EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0909*
SENATE BILL 909
F1 4lr3066
CF HB 881
By: Anne Arundel County Senators
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Anne Arundel County – Public Schools – Innovative Scheduling Pilot Program 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to establish 3
a pilot program to operate certain schools within the county using an innovative 4
scheduling model; authorizing county boards of education to explore the use of 5
certain innovative school scheduling models for public schools in the county; and 6
generally relating to the innovative school scheduling pilot program in Anne Arundel 7
County Public Schools. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–103(a) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 7–103(e) and 7–103.1 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21
7–103. 22
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (e), and (f) of this section, each public 23
school under the jurisdiction of a county board: 24
2 SENATE BILL 909
(1) (i) Shall be open for pupil attendance for at least 180 actual school 1
days and a minimum of 1,080 school hours during a 10–month period in each school year; 2
or 3
(ii) If normal school attendance is prevented because of conditions 4
described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be open for at least 1,080 hours during a 5
10–month period; 6
(2) Shall be open for pupil attendance a minimum of 3 hours during each 7
school day; and 8
(3) May not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays in order to meet 9
the 180–day or 1,080–hour requirement of this subsection. 10
(e) (1) The county boards of Allegany, [Anne Arundel,] Calvert, Howard, 11
Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties, and the Board of School Commissioners of 12
Baltimore City, may elect to operate one or more schools within the county or Baltimore 13
City on a year–round basis, provided that the 180–day and the minimum hour 14
requirements under this section are met. 15
(2) (I) IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, THE COUNTY BOARD MAY 16
ELECT TO ESTABLISH A PILOT PR OGRAM TO OPERATE ONE OR MORE SCHOOLS 17
WITHIN THE COUNTY USING AN INNOVATIVE SCHEDU LING MODEL, INCLUDING THE 18
FOLLOWING MODEL S: 19
1. EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR ; 20
2. YEAR–ROUND SCHOOL ; 21
3. 4–DAY SCHOOL WEEK ; OR 22
4. ANY OTHER INNOVATIVE SCHEDULING MODEL 23
APPROVED BY THE COUN TY BOARD. 24
(II) A PILOT PROGRAM ESTABL ISHED UNDER THIS PAR AGRAPH 25
SHALL: 26
1. MEET THE MINIMUM HOUR REQUIREMENTS UN DER 27
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 28
2. OPERATE FOR A PERIOD OF NOT LONGER THAN 5 29
YEARS, INCLUDING A 1–YEAR PLANNING PROCES S AND A 4–YEAR OPERATING 30
PERIOD. 31
SENATE BILL 909 3
(III) DURING THE 1–YEAR PLANNING PROCES S OF A PILOT 1
PROGRAM, THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL: 2
1. PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO OPE RATE AN 3
INNOVATIVE SCHEDULIN G PILOT PROGRAM TO: 4
A. THE STATE BOARD; AND 5
B. THE IMPACTED SCHOOL EMPL OYEES, THE SCHOOL 6
COMMUNITY , AND THE EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION DESIGNA TED AS THE EXCLUSIVE 7
REPRESENTATIVE OF TH E IMPACTED SCHOOL EM PLOYEES; AND 8
2. NEGOTIATE THE RELEVANT ISSUES WITH THE 9
EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION DESIGNA TED AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF 10
THE IMPACTED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 6–406 OF THIS 11
ARTICLE. 12
[(2)] (3) Nothing in this section precludes a county board from conducting 13
a year–round pilot study or program that is funded by the county board. 14
7–103.1. 15
(a) (1) The State Board shall explore the use of innovative school scheduling 16
models, including extended year, year–round schooling, or other school scheduling models 17
that do not allow for prolonged lapses in instructional time, in low–performing or at–risk 18
public schools. 19
[(b)] (2) The State Board shall encourage county boards to use the school 20
scheduling models that are determined to be most effective in enhancing student 21
achievement in low–performing or at–risk public schools. 22
(B) A COUNTY BOARD MAY EXP LORE THE USE OF INNO VATIVE SCHOOL 23
SCHEDULING MODELS , INCLUDING EXTENDED Y EAR, YEAR–ROUND SCHOOL , 4–DAY 24
SCHOOL WEEK , OR OTHER SCHOOL SCHE DULING MODELS THAT D O NOT ALLOW FOR 25
PROLONGED LAPSES IN INSTRUCTIONAL TIME I N PUBLIC SCHOOLS . 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 27
1, 2024. 28