Kentucky legislature OKs later start to school year [View all]

The first day of school for students across Kentucky may start happening later than usual if Gov. Matt Bevin signs a bill the state House of Representatives approved Wednesday into law.

The House easily approved a measure Wednesday afternoon in a 77-18 vote that would encourage public school districts to wait until late August to kick off the school year. The state Senate already approved Senate Bill 50 last month, so the proposal can head straight to Bevin for consideration.

If the governor doesn't veto SB 50, districts would be allowed to use a new "variable student instructional year" if they delay the first day of school until at least the Monday closest to Aug. 26. That incentive would be available starting with the 2018-19 term.

Kentucky generally requires districts to have at least 170 days of instruction and 1,062 hours of instructional time each year. But school boards that aren't in a rush for students to return to the classroom instead could use a variable schedule that still meets the hourly requirement but doesn’t have to hit the 170-day mark.

Read more: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2017/03/08/ky-legislature-oks-later-start-school-year/98639246/