A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNING BODY OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY WAIVE THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAKE UP FULL DAYS MISSED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICTS CLOSED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE HELENE DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, AND TO EXTEND SUCH WAIVERS TO HOME SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
Summary
H3778 is a joint resolution that gives school districts affected by Hurricane Helene during the 2024-2025 school year limited authority to waive the statutory requirement that public schools make up full days missed because of inclement weather. The waiver applies only to districts that were closed due to Helene-related weather impacts and only after the State Superintendent of Education certifies that the district had already built in at least three make-up days, used local board waivers where available, and, if needed, received additional forgiveness from the State Board of Education for up to three more days.
The resolution also requires the district to submit a plan for handling future weather disruptions, including longer school days or Saturday classes, and to consult with the State Department of Education about the relevant make-up-day statute. If a district waives a make-up day under this resolution, the waiver extends to approved home-school programs and charter schools in that district as well. The measure takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Impact
The bill creates a temporary, event-specific exception to South Carolina’s school attendance and make-up-day requirements for districts disrupted by Hurricane Helene. It does not broadly change the general law on inclement-weather make-up days, but it authorizes districts meeting the stated conditions to avoid making up some missed days and extends that relief to associated home-school programs and charter schools. It therefore affects school calendars, instructional time requirements, and administrative planning for the 2024-2025 school year in impacted districts.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the resolution, with the House passing it 108-0 on April 22, 2025. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote suggests broad agreement that districts affected by Hurricane Helene needed flexibility to recover from the storm’s disruptions. The bill’s narrow scope and certification requirements also indicate an effort to balance relief with oversight.
Contention
No major opposition is reflected in the available record. The main policy issue embedded in the bill is how much instructional time should be forgiven after a major weather event, and the resolution addresses that by limiting waivers to districts meeting specific conditions and by requiring future planning. Any potential concern would likely center on preserving instructional hours versus granting disaster-related flexibility, but the unanimous House vote suggests little visible contention.
Provides that any schools days a public school is closed due to a declared state of emergency be deemed excused for purposes of compliance with minimum school days calendar requirements.
Concerning Making Up Missed School Days; And To Require A Public School District To Include Additional Days Or Hours, As Applicable, In Its School Calendar For The Purpose Of Making Up Missed School Days.
Provides that the school year for all public schools, including traditional public and public charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academies, would start on the same date of each calendar year.
Provides that the school year for all public schools, including traditional public and public charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academies, would start on the same date of each calendar year.
Provides that the school year for all public schools, including traditional public and public charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academies, would start on the same date of each calendar year.
To Amend Provisions Of The Arkansas Code To Improve Efficiency In Student Instruction; And To Create A Standardized Flexible School Calendar System For Public Schools.