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Committee approves one‑year relief allowing districts extra calamity days and calendar flexibility
Summary
House Bill 241, designed to give school districts temporary flexibility after widespread flooding and weather-related closures, passed the committee with a committee substitute. The bill allows additional calamity days, use of variable calendars, and a commissioner waiver process for up to five severe-weather days for 2025 only.
House Bill 241, a one-year emergency measure to give school districts extra flexibility after extensive flooding and severe weather, advanced from the Senate Standing Committee on Education with a committee substitute.
Representative Tim Truitt presented the bill and described its purpose as temporary relief for districts that have exhausted regular calamity and non-traditional instruction (NTI) days. “What this bill does is it allows districts to add time to their day to get the kids in the seat. It will also allow five natural disaster days, severe weather days, in case there's something that happens between the time that this bill is signed into law and the end of the school year,” Truitt said. He noted that adding minutes to the school day can help districts avoid pushing testing and instruction into late June.
Key provisions: the bill permits districts to switch to or use a variable calendar (measured in minutes/hours rather than days) to make up lost instructional time, allows districts to request up to five additional severe-weather calamity days that must be approved by the Kentucky Commissioner of Education, and includes a committee-substitute provision adjusting average daily attendance calculations for districts that used limited NTI days.
Concerns and committee discussion: Several senators raised broader issues about NTI days and academic accountability. Senator Tishner said she opposed the bill in concept because of concerns NTI has been used inconsistently and urged review of NTI’s effectiveness and participation measurement. Other members said they supported one-year relief for districts hit hard by flooding and described the bill as a reasonable emergency response.
Committee action: The committee adopted the committee substitute and voted to advance the bill; a roll call recorded multiple aye votes and some members explaining their votes on the record. The bill passed the committee with favorable expression.
What it does not do: The bill is expressly for the current school year and does not create permanent changes to NTI policy; committee members said they want to revisit NTI standards and accountability in future work.
Sources: Testimony by Representative Tim Truitt and committee discussion including Senators Tishner, Higdon, Williams and others recorded in the committee transcript.
