Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB758 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/15/2025

                     
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 1  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
SENATE BILL 758 	By: Thompson 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, 
Section 1-109, which relates to length of the school 
year; allowing a school district or certain charter 
school to include emergency virtual days in certain 
policy; providing reasons for which emergency virtual 
days may be used; allowing the State Board of 
Education to approve use of virtual instruction; 
defining term; requiring notificatio n within certain 
time period; providing for contents of notification; 
requiring the State Department of Education to make 
certain determination within certain time period; 
requiring a school district or charter school to 
provide certain in-person instruction if certain 
determination is made; providing process for appeal; 
directing virtual instruction to consist of certain 
number of hours; allowing the Department to audit 
certain records and make certain determination; 
requiring certain in -person instruction if certain 
determination is made; providing process for appeal; 
defining term; requiring publication and submission 
of certain annual report; providing for contents of 
report; updating statutory language; updating 
statutory reference; providing an effecti ve date; and 
declaring an emergency. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2021, Section 1 -109, is 
amended to read as follows:   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 2  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
Section 1-109.  A.  For all public schools in Oklahoma this 
state, school shall actually be in session and classroom instru ction 
offered: 
1.  For not less than one hundred eighty (180) days; or 
2.  For not less than one thousand eighty (1,080) hours each 
school year, if a district board of education adopts a school-hours 
policy and notifies the State Board of Education prior to October 15 
of the applicable school year; or 
3.  Beginning with the 2021 -2022 school year, for not less than 
one thousand eighty (1,080) hours with a minimum of one hundred 
sixty-five (165) days of instruction each school year, if a district 
board of education adopts a school -hours policy and notifies the 
State Board of Education prior to October 15 of the applicable 
school year; or 
4.  Beginning with the 2021 -2022 school year, for not less than 
one thousand eighty (1,080) hours each school year, if a district 
board of education adopts a school -hours policy, notifies the State 
Board of Education prior to October 15 of the applicable school 
year, and meets the requirements establi shed by the State Board of 
Education pursuant to subsection H of this section. 
B.  A school district may not count more than thirty (30) hours 
each school year that are used for attendance of professional 
meetings toward the one hundred eighty (180) days o r one thousand   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 3  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
eighty (1,080) hours of classroom instruction time required in 
subsection A of this section. 
C.  Teachers off contract with an employing district shall not 
be required by the employing school district to attend professional 
meetings unless the teacher is paid additional compensation for the 
additional time.  Teachers may be paid additional compensation for 
attending professional meetings in excess of their contract term.  
Subject to district board of education policy or collective 
bargaining agreement, additional paid professional days may be 
granted for individual teachers to attend or participate in 
professional meetings, staff development training, or National Board 
certification portfolio development as provided for in Section 6 -
204.2 of this title. 
D.  A school district may authorize parent -teacher conferences 
to be held during a regular school day.  If authorized by the school 
district, parent-teacher conferences shall be counted as classroom 
instruction time for no more than six (6) hour s per semester, for a 
total of twelve (12) hours per school year. 
E.  A school district may maintain school for less than a full 
school year only when conditions beyond the control of school 
authorities make the maintenance of the term impossible and the 
State Board of Education has been apprised and has expressed 
concurrence in writing.   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 4  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
F.  The State Board of Education shall establish criteria for an 
extended-day schedule for schools subject to paragraph 1 of 
subsection A of this section.  The criteria sha ll: 
1.  Prescribe a lengthened school day within limits determined 
not to be detrimental to quality instruction; 
2.  Ensure that the schedule is equivalent in annual hours of 
instruction to the one -hundred-eighty-day school year specified in 
paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section; and 
3.  Be consistent with the provisions of th is section and 
Sections 1-111 and 1-112 of this title, but may result in fewer 
annual days of instruction. 
G.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection F of this 
section, a school district board of education subject to paragraph 1 
of subsection A of this section may adopt and implement an extended -
day schedule subject to the following requirements: 
1.  The annual number of hours of instruction shall equal or 
exceed one thousand eighty (1,080) hours, which is the equivalent of 
one hundred eighty (180) da ys of instruction as specified in 
subsection A of this section for six (6) hours each day as specified 
in Section 1-111 of this title; 
2.  The annual number of days of instructio n shall equal or 
exceed one hundred eighty (180) days as specified in subsection A of 
this section;   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 5  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
3.  The schedule adopted shall be consistent with the provisions 
of Sections 1-111 and 1-112 of this title, except that for not more 
than one (1) day per we ek, a school day shall consist of not less 
than five (5) hours devoted to acad emic instruction in a regular 
classroom setting; 
4.  The district shall hold a public hearing prior to the 
adoption of an extended -day schedule authorized pursuant to this 
subsection; and 
5.  The district shall document the impact on student 
achievement as determined by the academic performance data score and 
any other relevant factors that are a result of implementation of an 
extended-day schedule authorized pursuant to this subs ection and 
provide an annual report to the State Board of Education of the 
results.  If improvement in student achievement cannot be documented 
in the report, the district board of education shall revoke 
authorization as provided by this subsection.  If th e district does 
not revoke authorization after student achievement is not documented 
in the report, the State Board of Education may deny accreditation 
of any school in violation of this subsection. 
H.  Beginning with the 2021 -2022 school year, a school di strict 
board of education may adopt a school -hours policy as provided for 
by paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section only if it meets or 
exceeds the minimum guidelines for student performance and school 
district cost savings established by the State Bo ard of Education.    
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 6  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, subject to 
approval by the Legislature, establishing the minimum guidelines for 
student performance and school district cost savings. 
I.  If subject to paragraph 2 of subsection A of t his section, a 
district board of education or designee may elect to close a sc hool 
during the school day for inclement weather purposes.  In such an 
event, the number of hours incurred in classroom instruction time 
prior to school closure shall be counted toward the one thousand 
eighty (1,080) hours per year requirement. 
J.  1.  A school district or charter school created pursuant to 
Section 3-132 of this title may include in its policy adopted 
pursuant to subsection A of this section one or more emergency 
virtual days during which instruction shall be delivered to students 
virtually.  For the purposes of this subsection, reasons for an 
emergency virtual day shall only include inclement weather, 
unavailability of teachers and support staff due to illness, an d 
building maintenance issues.  No school district or charter school 
may close school to provide virtual instruction except as provided 
for in this subsection or as approved by the State Board of 
Education.  For the purposes of this subsection, “virtual 
instruction” means the use of the internet or other digital 
information transmis sion systems as a form of instruction. 
2. a. If a school district administrator determines it 
necessary to use an emergency virtual day, he or she   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 7  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
shall notify the State Departme nt of Education within 
seventy-two (72) hours of the determination being 
made.  The notification shall include the date or 
dates during which virtual instruction was to be 
provided and the reason for providing virtual 
instruction. 
b. Within one (1) calendar week of receiving the 
notification required by subparagraph a of this 
paragraph, the State Department of Education shall 
determine whether the use of virtual instruction 
complied with the provisions of this subsection.  If 
the Department determines use o f virtual instruction 
did not comply with the provisions of this subsection, 
the school district or charter school shall be 
required to provide an additional day of in -person 
instruction. 
c. If the State Department of Education determines the 
use of virtual instruction did not comply with the 
provisions of this subsection, the schoo l district or 
charter school may appeal the decision to the State 
Board of Education. 
3. a. Instruction delivered virtually pursuant to the 
provisions of this subsection shall co nsist of:   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 8  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
(1) a minimum of five and one -half (5 1/2) hours for 
grades kindergarten through eight including at 
least three (3) hours of synchronous instruction, 
and 
(2) a minimum of six (6) hours for grades nine 
through twelve including at least four (4) ho urs 
of synchronous instruction. 
b. Upon receiving the notification required by 
subparagraph a of paragraph 2 of this subsection, the 
State Department of Education may audit school 
district or charter school records to determine 
whether a majority of studen ts enrolled in the school 
district or charter school complied with the minimum 
hours of synchronous instruction required by this 
paragraph.  If the Department determines less than a 
majority of students enrolled in the school district 
or charter school com plied with the minimum hours 
required by this paragraph, the school district o r 
charter school shall be required to provide an 
additional day of in -person instruction. 
c. If the State Department of Education determines less 
than a majority of students enro lled in the school 
district or charter school complied with the minimum 
hours required by this paragraph, the school district   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 9  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
or charter school may appeal the decision to the State 
Board of Education. 
For the purposes of this subsection, “synchronous instruction” means 
real-time interaction between a teacher and students as the prim ary 
format of instruction. 
K.  By June 30, 2026, and by June 30 each subsequent year, the 
State Department of Education shall publish on its website and 
electronically submit to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of 
the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report 
with information regarding the use of emergency virtual days, as 
provided for in subsection J of this section.  The report shall 
include, at a minimum: 
1.  The school districts and charter schools that used emergency 
virtual days and the number of emergency virtual days used by each 
school district and charter school; 
2.  The reason for which emergency virtual days were used; and 
3.  The school districts and charter schools, if any, that were 
required to provide an additional day of in -person instruction 
pursuant to subparagraph b of paragraph 2 of subsection J of this 
section. 
L. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the 
right of an employing school district to require teachers as defined 
in Section 6-101.3 of this title to work in excess of the one 
thousand eighty (1,080) hours required for student instruction.  In   
 
 
Req. No. 180 	Page 10  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
   1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
addition, nothing in this section shall be construed to affect t he 
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 status of any school district 
employee. 
K. M. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the 
Oklahoma School for the Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf 
from adopting an alternative school -hours policy if the Oklahoma 
School for the Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf notifies 
and receives approval from the State Board of Education prior to 
October 15 of the applicable school year. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 202 5. 
SECTION 3.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation 
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby 
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and 
be in full force from and after its passag e and approval. 
 
60-1-180 EB 1/15/2025 2:15:02 PM