HB5 Alabama 2015 Session

Under existing law, the Flexible School Calendar Act of 2012 requires each local board of education to establish an academic school calendar, beginning with the 2012-2013 school year and ending with the last day of the third month of the 2013-2014 school year, with the first day of instruction for students no earlier than the Monday two calendar weeks before Labor Day, unless August 31 is a Monday, then on Monday, August 17, and the last day of instruction for students shall be no later than the Friday immediately before Memorial Day

This bill would remove the temporary academic school calendar parameters provided for the 2013-2014 school year and would allow each local board of education to provide the required 180 full instructional days based on an hourly equivalent of no less than 1080 instructional hours

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

To amend Section 16-13-231, Code of Alabama 1975, the Flexible School Calendar Act of 2012; to remove the temporary academic school calendar parameters provided for the 2013-2014 school year; to allow each local board of education to provide the required 180 full instructional days based on an hourly equivalent of no less than 1080 instructional hours; and in connection therewith to have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.