Stevensville School District

INSTRUCTION 

School Year Calendar and Day

School Calendar
Subject to Montana law, and any applicable collective bargaining agreement covering the employment of affected employees, the trustees shall set the number of hours in a school term, the length of the school day, and the number of school days in a school week. When proposing to adopt changes to a previously adopted school term, school week, or school day, the trustees shall: (a) negotiate the changes with the recognized collective bargaining unit representing the employees affected by the changes; (b) solicit input from the employees affected by the changes but not represented by a collective bargaining agreement; (c) and from the people who live within the boundaries of the school district.

Commemorative Holidays
The District shall conduct appropriate exercises during the school day on the commemorative days noted in Montana law.

Saturday School
In emergencies, including during reasonable efforts of the trustees to make up aggregate hours of instruction lost during a declaration of emergency by the trustees under Section 20-9-806, MCA, pupil instruction may be conducted on a Saturday when it is approved by the trustees.

Pupil instruction may be held on a Saturday at the discretion of a school district for the purpose of providing additional pupil instruction beyond the minimum aggregate hours of instruction required in Section 20-1-301, MCA, provided student attendance is voluntary.

School Holidays
The schools in the District shall be closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Day; and State and national election days when the school building is used as a polling place and the conduct of school would interfere with the election process at the polling place. When these holidays fall on Saturday or Sunday, the preceding Friday or the succeeding Monday shall not be a school holiday. The Board may establish other holidays.

Legal References:
§ 20-1-301, MCA School fiscal year
§ 20-1-302, MCA School day and week
§ 20-1-303, MCA Conduct of School on Saturday or Sunday prohibited – exceptions
§ 20-1-306, MCA Commemorative exercises on certain days
ARM 10.55.701 Board of Trustees

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 2002
Reviewed on: October 13, 2015; April 9, 2019; September 14, 2021
Revised on: November 10, 2015; May 14, 2019; October 12, 2021