In April 2017 the SED issued a memo regarding the 180-day school day requirement regarding attendance and the school calendar.
Although, SED believed that this revised guidance was simply a clarification, NYSUT pressed them that what they had issued was actually a significant policy change regarding the use of scheduled half days of instruction.
Specifically, the revised guidance states that:
- Half days scheduled for elementary school students on days that count as Regents Exams Days do not count toward the 180 days.
- Half days scheduled on any “end-of-year” days before Regents Exam Days do