Committee adopts amendment allowing districts and state board to waive additional missed-school days for severe weather

The House Education and Public Works Committee adopted an amendment and reported H 3778 favorably as amended, a bill that creates a stepped waiver process for missed school days caused by weather or other emergencies.

Under the adopted amendment, a district that designates at least three calendar days as makeup days may use those days first. If those designated days are exhausted, a local school board of trustees may waive up to three additional days. If further forgiveness is necessary and the district has followed statutory procedures, the State Board of Education may waive up to three more days (not to exceed three additional days). The amendment also requires the district to submit a plan describing options such as lengthened instructional days or Saturday classes and to seek assistance from the department to understand the provisions of “section 59 1 4 2 5” (as cited in the transcript).

The committee record indicates the law’s existing e‑learning component remains in place and was not changed by this amendment. Committee members described the change as a compromise to allow districts that have exhausted pre-designated makeup days to request additional forgiveness following the statutory process.

The committee adopted the amendment by a recorded vote of 15 to 0 with three members absent and later reported the bill favorably as amended by a vote of 14 to 0 with four absent.

Clarifying details from the transcript: districts must first use three pre-designated makeup days; local boards may waive up to three additional days; the State Board may waive up to three more days after review and certification by the state superintendent and confirmation that the district has followed required steps; the transcript cites a specific statutory reference as “section 59 1 4 2 5.”