IES
National Center for
Education Statistics
Table 1.1. Minimum number of instructional days and hours in the school year, minimum number of hours per school day, and school start/finish dates, by state: 2020
| State | Minimum amount of instructional times per school year (by grade, if applicable) | Minimum number of hours per school day | School start/finish | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In days | In hours | ||||||
| Alabama | 180 | 1 | 1,080 | 1 | 6.0 hours (excludes lunch and recess) | District option | |
| Alaska | 180 | 1,2 | Kindergarten-grade 3=740 Grades 4-12=900 | 1 | Grades 1-3=4.0 hours Grades 4-12=5.0 hours (excludes intermissions) | District option | |
| Arizona | 180 | 1 | Grades 1-3=712 Grades 4-8=890 Grades 9-12=720 (includes lunch) | 1 | † | † | |
| Arkansas | Set by the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas | † | 6.0 hours/day, 30.0 hours/week (At least 40 minutes of recess must be included for elementary schools) | Start on or after the Monday of the week in which 8/19 falls; no earlier than 8/14 and no later than 8/26 | |||
| California | 180 | 3 | Kindergarten=600 Grades 1-3=840 Grades 4-8=900 Grades 9-12=1,080 | 4 | Kindergarten=3.0 hours Grades 1-3=3.8 hours Grades 4-12=4.0 hours (excludes noon intermissions for kindergarten-grade 8; excludes recess except for in kindergarten) | 4,5 | District option |
| Colorado | 160 | 2 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=900 Grades 1-5=990 Grades 6-12=1,080 | † | District option | ||
| Connecticut | 180 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=900 Grades 1-12=900 | † | 6 | District option | ||
| Delaware | † | Kindergarten-grade 11=1,060 Grade 12=1,032 | 3.5 hours (excludes lunch) | District option | |||
| District of Columbia | 180 | † | 5.0 hours | District option (single district) | |||
| Florida | 180 | 1 | Kindergarten-grade 3=720 Grades 4-12=900 | 1 | † | District option | |
| Georgia | 180 | 2 | † | Kindergarten-grade 3=4.5 hours Grades 4-5=5.0 hours Grades 6-12=5.5 hours | † | ||
| Hawaii | 7 | 180 | 8 | 1,080 | † | District option (single district) | |
| Idaho | Set by the board of trustees of each school district | 2 | Kindergarten=450 Grades 1-3=810 Grades 4-8=900 Grades 9-12=990 (excludes recess, lunch, and passing periods) | Set by the board of trustees of each school district | District option | ||
| Illinois | 185 | † | Half-day kindergarten=2.0 hours Full-day kindergarten-grade 1=4.0 hours Grades 2-12=5.0 hours | District option | |||
| Indiana | 180 | † | Grades 1-6=5.0 hours Grades 7-12=6.0 hours (excludes recess and lunch) | † | |||
| Iowa | 180 | 2 | 1,080 | Grades 1-12=6.0 hours/day or 30.0 hours/week (excludes lunch, includes passing periods) | Start no sooner than 8/23 and no later than the first Monday in December | ||
| Kansas | Grades 1-11=186 Grade 12=181 | Kindergarten=465 Grades 1-11=1,116 Grade 12=1,086 | 5.0 hours | District option | |||
| Kentucky | 170 | 8 | 1,062 | 6.0 hours | 9 | District option | |
| Louisiana | 177 | 1 | 1,062 | 1,4 | Grades 1-12=6.0 hours (excludes recess) | 4 | District option |
| Maine | 180 | 2,10 | † | Kindergarten=2.5 hours Grades 1-12=5.0 hours | 11 | District option | |
| Maryland | 180 | 1,080 1,170 for public high schools | 3.0 hours | Start no earlier than the Tuesday immediately following Labor Day. Finish no later than 6/15 | 12 | ||
| Massachusetts | 180 | 13 | Kindergarten=425 Grades 1-5=900 Grades 6-12=990 (excludes lunch, recess, passing periods, homeroom, non-directed study periods and time spent receiving school services or participating in optional school programs) | † | District option | ||
| Michigan | 180 | 1,098 | † | Start after Labor Day | |||
| Minnesota | Grades 1-11=165 | Kindergarten=425 Full-day kindergarten=850 Grades 1-6=935 Grades 7-12=1,020 | † | Start after Labor Day | |||
| Mississippi | 180 | † | 5.5 hours | District option | |||
| Missouri | † | Kindergarten=522 Grades 1-12=1,044 | 3.0 hours | Start no earlier than 14 days prior to the first Monday in September | 14 | ||
| Montana | Set by the trustees of a school district | 8 | Half-day kindergarten=360 Full-day kindergarten=720 Grades 1-3=720 Grades 4-12=1,080 | 15 | Set by the trustees of a school district | † | |
| Nebraska | † | Kindergarten=400 Grades 1-8=1,032 Grades 9-12=1,080 | Set by the State Board of Education | Set by the State Board of Education | |||
| Nevada | 180 | 2,16 | † | Kindergarten=2.0 hours Grades 1-2=4.0 hours Grades 3-6=5.0 hours Grades 7-12=5.5 hours (includes recess and time between lessons, excludes lunch) | 4 | District option | |
| New Hampshire | 180 | 1,10 | Kindergarten=450 Elementary schools=945 Middle and high schools=990 | 1 | † | 17 | District option |
| New Jersey | 180 | † | Full-day kindergarten=2.5 hours Grades 1-12=4.0 hours | District option | |||
| New Mexico | † | 2 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=990 Grades 1-6=990 Grades 7-12=1,080 (excludes lunch) | 18 | Half-day kindergarten=2.5 hours Full-day kindergarten=5.5 hours Grades 1-6=5.5 hours Grades 7-12=6.0 hours (excludes lunch) | District option | |
| New York | 180 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=900 Grades 1-6=900 Grades 7-12=990 | Half-day kindergarten=2.5 hours Full-day kindergarten=5.0 hours Grades 1-6=5.0 hours Grades 7-12=5.5 hours (excludes lunch for grades 7-12) | District option | |||
| North Carolina | 185 | 1 | 1,025 | 1 | Set by the local school board | Start on the Monday closest to 8/26. Finish no later than the Friday closest to 6/11. | |
| North Dakota | † | 2 | Half-day kindergarten=481 Full-day kindergarten=962 Grades 1-5=962 Grades 6-12=1,050 (excludes lunch and breaks) | 19 | Half-day kindergarten=2.8 hours Full-day kindergarten=5.5 hours Elementary schools=5.5 hours High schools=6.0 hours | 5 | District option |
| Ohio | Set by the board of education of each city | 2 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=910 Grades 1-6=910 Grades 7-12=1,001 (excludes lunch, includes recess for kindergarten-grade 6) | † | District option | ||
| Oklahoma | 180 | 1,2 | 1,080 | 1,20 | 6.0 hours | District option | |
| Oregon | † | 2 | Half-day kindergarten=450 Full-day kindergarten=900 Grades 1-8=900 Grades 9-11=990 Grade 12=966 (includes recess for kindergarten-grade 3) | † | 21 | District option | |
| Pennsylvania | 180 | 1 | Kindergarten=450 Grades 1-6=900 Grades 7-12=990 | 1 | Kindergarten=2.5 hours Grades 1-8=5.0 hours Grades 9-12=5.5 hours | District option | |
| Rhode Island | 180 | 1 | 1,080 | 1 | Kindergarten=5.5 hours Grades 1-12=6.0 hours | Start no later than the first Thursday following the first Monday in September | |
| South Carolina | 180 | 8 | † | 6.0 hours (includes lunch for elementary school) | Start no earlier than third Monday in August | ||
| South Dakota | Set by the local school board | 2 | Kindergarten=438 Grades 1-5=875 Grades 6-12=963 (excludes intermissions) | 22 | Set by the local school board | Start on or after the first Tuesday following the first Monday in September | |
| Tennessee | 180 | 8 | † | Kindergarten=4.0 hours Grades 1-12=6.5 hours | Start no earlier than 8/1 | ||
| Texas | † | 1,260 hours (includes intermission and recess) | 4 | 7.0 hours | 4 | Start after the fourth Monday in August. Finish after 5/15 | |
| Utah | 180 | 2 | 990 (excludes lunch and passing periods) | Kindergarten=2.0 hours Grades 1-12=4.0 hours | District option | ||
| Vermont | 175 | 8 | † | Set by the State Board of Education | District option | ||
| Virginia | 180 | 1 | Kindergarten=540 Grades 1-12=990 | 1 | Kindergarten=3.0 hours Grades 1-12=5.5 hours (excludes lunch, includes passing periods, and includes recess for elementary schools) | Start no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day | |
| Washington | 180 | Kindergarten=450 Grades 1-8=1,000 Grades 9-12=1,080 | † | † | |||
| West Virginia | 180 | † | Kindergarten-grade 5=5.3 hours Grades 6-8=5.5 hours Grades 9-12=5.8 hours | 5 | † | ||
| Wisconsin | † | Kindergarten=437 Grades 1-6=1,050 Grades 7-12=1,137 (includes recess and passing periods, excludes lunch) | † | Start no earlier than 9/1 | |||
| Wyoming | 175 | Kindergarten=450 Grades 1-5=900 Grades 6-8=1,050 Grades 9-12=1,100 | Set by the trustees of each school district | † | |||
| † Not applicable. State does not have a requirement in this category. | |||||||||
| 1 Districts have the option to meet either minimum hours per school year or days per school year. | |||||||||
| 2 The minimum number of instructional days may include in-service professional development days, staff development, parent-teacher conferences, planning, or similar activities. | |||||||||
| 3 In California, charter schools and select districts are required 175 days. More details may be found at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/lcffitfaq.asp. | |||||||||
| 4 Specifies instructional time in minutes. | |||||||||
| 5 The minimum number of hours per school day are rounded. | |||||||||
| 6 In Connecticut, districts may count up to 7 hours/day toward the total required for the year. | |||||||||
| 7 In Hawaii, the minimum amount of instructional time does not apply to charter and multi-track schools. | |||||||||
| 8 The minimum number of instructional days may exclude professional development days, in-service education, planning, parent-teacher conferences, and similar activities. | |||||||||
| 9 In Kentucky, kindergarten programs may operate for less than 6 hours with state board approval. | |||||||||
| 10 In Maine and New Hampshire, students in grade 12 may be allowed up to graduate five days prior to the end of the regular school year. | |||||||||
| 11 In Maine, the minimum length of a day is 3 hours, but the average over a 2-week period must be at least 5 hours. | |||||||||
| 12 In Maryland, a county board may extend the length of the school year for up to 5 days beyond June 15 without approval from the State Board. | |||||||||
| 13 In Massachusetts, schools must schedule at least 185 days. Students in grade 12 may graduate up to 12 days early. | |||||||||
| 14 In Missouri, starting in the 2020–21 school year, schools may start earlier if they give appropriate public notice. | |||||||||
| 15 In Montana, graduating students in grade 12 are only required to attend 1,050 hours. | |||||||||
| 16 In Nevada, alternative schedules can be approved in certain circumstances if they provide equal to or greater than the number of minutes of instruction that would be provided on a 180 day schedule. | |||||||||
| 17 New Hampshire sets maximum rather than minimum hours of instructional time per day: elementary schools=5.75 hours; middle and high schools=6 hours. Lunch, home room periods, passing time, and breaks do not count toward instructional time. Recess may count up to 30 minutes per day for elementary school students. | |||||||||
| 18 In New Mexico, some hours may be used for home visits or for parent-teacher conferences, depending on grade level. | |||||||||
| 19 In North Dakota, minimum number of hours for half-day kindergarten rounded to 481 hours from 481.25 hours. Minimum hours for full-day kindergarten and grades 1-5 rounded down to 962 hours from 962.5 hours to convey that the required hours for these grades are double the hours required for half-day kindergarten. | |||||||||
| 20 In Oklahoma, beginning in the 2021–22 school year, the minimum hours must be met within 165 days of instruction. | |||||||||
| 21 Oregon sets maximum, rather than minimum, hours/day: kindergarten-grade 8=8.0 hours; grades 9-12=8.5 hours. | |||||||||
| 22 In South Dakota, school boards may release students in grade 12 prior to the end of the school year. Additionally, minimum number of hours for kindergarten students rounded to 438 from 437.5, and minimum number of hours for grades 6-2 rounded to 963 from 962.5. | |||||||||
| NOTE: There are many exceptions to instructional time requirements across states and not all of them are indicated here. Unless otherwise indicated, states that have hours per year and days per year require both. | |||||||||
| SOURCE: Education Commission of the States, 50 State Comparison: Instructional Time Policies, retrieved November 19, 2020 from https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-instructional-time-policies/. Data Source. |
