An academic year or school year is the period of time that schools use to measure a quantity of time of study. A school year typically Instructional days refer to the amount of time students are expected to be in the classroom per year.
In the United States, school typically have winter breaks for the Christmas holidays and New Year’s Day and a week-long spring break taken in March or April. Additionally, the longest break of the year is summer break, which typically lasts about 12 weeks, starting anywhere from late May or late June to late August or after Labor Day in September. School year breaks have many effects on a county, such as increasing the price of travel and accommodations and a shift in crime rates.
School years in the United States typically range from 160 to 180 days depending on the state. This does not include holidays, such as Thanksgiving, breaks, or weekends. States that are subject to snowfall in the wintertime often factor in days on which the school might close due to inclement weather. Additionally, some districts have school in-service days for teachers to participate in and Teacher’s Day Off, which may be scheduled twice or three times throughout the school year.
Every state has a set number of days and hours required for each school year. Below are each state’s minimum required days and hours from the Education Commission of the States. States that have both hours per year and days per year require both unless otherwise stated. There are many exceptions to the required instructional times that may not be specified in the list.
State | Minimum | Minimum Hours Or Minutes Per Year | Additional Details | Where Found In State Code | State Code Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 186 days (Grades 1-11), 181 days (Grade 12) | Kindergarten: 465 hours, Grades 1-11: 1,116 hours, Grade 12: 1,086 hours | Passing periods, organized recesses, activity periods, time between opening and closing bells can be considered part of a school day. Lunch and passing periods are not considered to be a part of the school day. | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-3115 School Year Requirement | Source |
| Illinois | 185 days | Not specified in state policy | Designed to insure 176 days of student attendance. | 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/10-19 | |
| North Carolina | 185 days | 1,025 hours | Days or hours. | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-84.2 | |
| Washington | 180 half-days (Kindergarten), 180 days (Grades 1-12) | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-8: 1,000 hours, Grades 9-12: 1,080 hours | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.150.220 | ||
| Alabama | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. In extreme circumstances involving natural occurrences, health-related occurrences, or other extenuating circumstances that result in the cancellation of an instructional day, a local board of education may submit a plan for the approval of the State Superintendent of Education to replace cancelled instructional days by adjusting the school calendar to extend the hours of actual teaching time on specified instructional days. | Ala. Code § 16-13-231 | |
| Alaska | 180 days | Grades K-3: 740 hours, Grades 4-12: 900 hours | Days or hours. A day of in-service training of teachers can substitute for a day in session, up to a maximum of 10 days. | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.03.030 | |
| Arizona | 180 days | Grades 1-3: 712 hours, Grades 4-8: 890 hours, Grades 9-12: 720 hours | Days or hours. Instructional hour requirement includes lunch. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-901 Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-341.01 | |
| California | 180 days | Kindergarten: 36,000 minutes, Grades 1-3: 50,400 minutes, Grades 4-8: 54,000 minutes, Grades 9-12: 64,800 minutes, | For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: Kindergarten: 600 hours Grades 1-3: 840 hours Grades 4-8: 900 hours Grades 9-12: 1,080 hours. Select districts are required 175 days | Cal. Educ. Code § 46200 Cal. Educ. Code § 46201 LCFF & Instructional Time FAQs | Source |
| Connecticut | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-12: 900 hours | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-16 | ||
| District of Columbia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | D.C. Code Ann. § 38-2901 | ||
| Florida | 180 days | Grades K-3: 720 hours, Grades 4-12: 900 hours, | Days or hours. | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1011.61 Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1001.42 | |
| Georgia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Or equivalent. Up to 10 hours of parent-teacher conferences can count towards instructional time. Recess and lunch are not considered instructional time. Testing, counseling, and health screenings are considered instructional time. | Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-168 Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-5-1-.02 | |
| Hawaii | 180 days | Grade 1-12: 1,080 hours | Excludes professional development and other non-instructional days. Does not apply to charter and multi-track schools. All times that students are on campus, including recess and lunch, count toward the 1,080 hour requirement. | Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 302A-251 2022-23 School Year | Source |
| Indiana | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Ind. Code Ann. § 20-30-2-3 | ||
| Iowa | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Iowa Code Ann. § 279.10 | ||
| Maine | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | May include 5 days for in service education of teachers, administrative meetings, parent-teacher conferences, records' days and similar activities. Seniors may be allowed up to graduate five days prior to the end of the regular school year. | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 20-A, § 4801 | |
| Maryland | 180 days | 1,080 hours, 1,170 hours for public high schools | 1,080 hours during a 10-month period in each school year. Maryland public high schools shall be open for at least 180 school days and a minimum of 1,170 school hours during a 10-month period in each school year. | Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-103 Md. Code Regs. 13A.03.02.12 | |
| Massachusetts | 180 days | Kindergarten: 425 hours, Grades 1-5: 900 hours, Grades 6-12: 990 hours | Schools must schedule at least 185 days. Seniors may graduate up to 12 days early. Breakfast and lunch, passing between classes, homeroom, recess, non-directed study periods, school services, and optional school programs do not count towards instructional time. | 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.03 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.04 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.05 603 Mass. Code Regs. 27.07 | |
| Michigan | 180 days | 1,098 hours | Time during which there is no pupil instruction because of strikes or teachers' conferences shall not be counted as pupil instruction. | Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 388.1701 Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 380.1284 | |
| Mississippi | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-63 | ||
| Nevada | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | May include up to 5 days for teachers' conferences. Alternative schedules can be approved in certain circumstances so long as they provide equal to or greater than the number of minutes of instruction that would be provided on a 180 day schedule. | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.090 Nev. Admin. Code 387.120 | |
| New Hampshire | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Elementary schools: 945 hours, Middle and High schools: 990 hours | Days or hours. High school seniors may graduate up to 5 days early. An additional 60 hours must be scheduled to provide for instructional time lost due to inclement weather or unexpected circumstances, staff development, and parent-teacher conferences. At least 30 of the 60 additional hours shall be available for rescheduling hours lost due to inclement weather or other emergencies. | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 189:1 N.H. Code Admin. R. § 18 | |
| New Jersey | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A:7F-9 | ||
| New York | 180 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 900 hours, Grades 7-12: 990 hours | N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8, § 175.5 | ||
| Oklahoma | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the minimum hours must be met within 165 days of instruction. A school district must not count more than 30 hours of professional development towards the hourly requirement. | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 1-109 Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 4516 | |
| Pennsylvania | 180 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-6: 900 hours, Grades 7-12: 990 hours | Can meet days or hours with approval from the Secretary of Education. | 22 Pa. Code § 11.1 22 Pa. Code § 11.3 24 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 15-1501 | |
| Rhode Island | 180 days | 1,080 hours | Days or hours. In case of an emergency, the school committee of any city or town with the approval of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education may reduce the number of school days to not less than one hundred seventy (170) days. High School Seniors shall have a minimum of 171 school days. | 200 R.I. Code R. 20-05-1.7 200 R.I. Code R. 20-05-1.8 200 R.I. Code R. 20-05-1.10 16 R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 16-2-2 | |
| South Carolina | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | School districts must designate 3 days for make-up days, 3 days for professional development, no more than 2 days for preparation of opening of schools, and up to 5 days for teacher planning and parent conferences. | S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-425 | |
| Tennessee | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | Must also schedule 5 days for in-service and 1 day for teacher-parent conferences. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004 | |
| Utah | 180 days | 990 hours | Utah Admin. Code r. R277-419-5 Utah Admin. Code r. R277-419-8 | ||
| Virginia | 180 days | Kindergarten-12: 990 hours | Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-79.1 Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-98 | ||
| West Virginia | 180 days | Not specified in state policy | W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-5-45 | ||
| Louisiana | 177 days | 63,720 minutes | Days or minutes. For comparison, the instructional minutes are equivalent to: 1,062 hours. | La. Stat. Ann. § 17:154.1 28 La. Admin. Code Pt CXV, 333 | |
| Vermont | 175 days | Not specified in state policy | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, § 1071 | ||
| Wyoming | 175 days | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Elementary: 900 hours, Middle School/Junior High: 950 hours, High School: 1,000 hours | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-301 Wyo. Admin. Code 206.0002.22 §3 | ||
| Kentucky | 170 days | 1,062 hours | Must also include 4 professional development days. | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 158.070 | |
| Minnesota | 165 days (Grades 1-11) | Kindergarten: 425 hours, All-day Kindergarten: 850 hours, Grades 1-6: 935 hours, Grades 7-12: 1,020 hours, | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.41 | ||
| Colorado | 160 days | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day Kindergarten: 900 hours, Grades 1-5: 990 hours, Grades 6-12: 1,080 hours | Required hours may include time for parent-teacher conferences, staff in-service programs, and closing due to health, safety, or welfare concerns. | Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-32-109 | |
| Idaho | Varies by district | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades 1-3: 810 hours, Grades 4-8: 900 hours, Grades 9-11: 990 hours, Grade 12: 979 hours | Up to 22 hours for staff development activities. Transportation to and from school, passing time between classes, recess and lunch periods are not included. School assemblies, testing, and other instructionally related activities directly involving students may be included as instructional hours. 2021-22 Calendar Manual | Idaho Code Ann. § 33-512 | |
| Montana | Varies by district | Half-day Kindergarten: 360 hours, Full-day K-3: 720 hours, Grades 4-12: 1,080 hours | Pupil-instruction-related days and in-service training may not be included as part of the required minimum aggregate hours. Graduating seniors are only required to attend 1,050 hours. | Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-301 Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-302 Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-304 | |
| Arkansas | Set by Standards for Accreditation | 1,068 hours | ADE Rules Governing the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts can be found here. | Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-108 Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-106 | |
| South Dakota | Set by local school board | Kindergarten: 437.5 hours, Grades 1-5: 875 hours, Grades 6-12: 962.5 hours | Excludes intermissions for grades 1-12, such as recess, lunch or passing time between classes. School boards may release seniors prior to the end of the school year. May include 16.5 hours for teacher-parent conference, and 5.5 of those hours may be used for teacher training. | S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-1 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-2 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-4 S.D. Codified Laws § 13-26-4.1 | |
| Ohio | Set by local board of education | Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 910 hours, Grades 7-12: 1,001 hours | Up to 2 days equivalent may be used for parent-teacher conferences and reporting, and up to 2 days equivalent may be used for professional development. Excludes lunch and breakfast periods and extracurricular activities. Includes morning and afternoon recess periods of not more than 15 minutes for pupils in kindergarten through 6th grade. | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3313.48 | |
| Delaware | Not specified | Grades K-11: 1,060 hours, Grade 12: 1,032 hours | The number of hours in a school day for grades K-12 shall be at least 3.5 hours exclusive of lunch. | Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 1049 | |
| Nebraska | Not specified | Kindergarten: 400 hours, Grades 1-8: 1,032 hours, Grades 9-12: 1,080 | For all grades except pre-kindergarten, exclude lunchtime for instructional time. Recess and passing time may be counted, if so indicated in local Board policy. | Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-211 Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 79-212 | |
| New Mexico | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Full-day K-6: 990 hours, Grades 7-12: 1,080 hours | Excludes lunch. Some hours may be used for home visits or for parent-teacher conferences, depending on grade level. | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-2-8.1 | |
| North Dakota | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 481.25 hours, Grades K-5: 962.5 hours, Grades 6-12: 1,050 hours | For a kindergarten instructional calendar equal to at least fifty percent of the full-time instructional days which would result in 481.25 hours. No more than 2 days may be scheduled for parent-teacher conferences. At least 3 days of professional development must be scheduled, not including meals or breaks. | N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-22-02 N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-06-04 | |
| Oregon | Not specified | Half-day Kindergarten: 450 hours, Grades K-8: 900 hours, Grades 9-11: 990 hours, Grade 12: 966 hours | Recess may count towards instructional time for a certain number of hours through grade 3. 30 hours may be used for parent teacher conferences. | Or. Admin. R. 581-022-2320 | |
| Texas | Not specified | 75,600 minutes | Includes time for instruction, intermission and recess. | Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.081 | |
| Wisconsin | Not specified | Kindergarten: 437 hours, Grades 1-6: 1,050 hours, Grades 7-12: 1,137 hours | Includes recess and passage time between classes but does not include the lunch period. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 121.02 | |
| Missouri | No minimum | Kindergarten: 522 hours, Other Grades: 1,044 hours | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 171.031 Mo. Ann. Stat. § 160.041 Mo. Ann. Stat. § 163.021 |