WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 82

SCHOOLS: Provides for a five-day school week for public schools with exceptions. (gov sig)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Valarie Hodges and 2 co-sponsors

Louisiana requires a five-day school week for grades 1–12, with exemptions for districts rated A or already on a four-day week by 2025.

Read by title, returned to the calendar.
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 82

Summary of SB 82 (Louisiana, 2026 Regular Session)

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes a five-day minimum school week for public schools (grades 1–12) in Louisiana, with certain exceptions.
  • Aims to standardize the school week while preserving flexibility for districts with already established exceptions or high performance.

Key Provisions

  • New requirement: The minimum school week for grades 1–12 must consist of five consecutive days within a week, excluding acknowledged legal holidays.
  • Exceptions to the five-day requirement:
    1. Any school district that receives an A performance score from the Louisiana Department of Education is exempt from the five-day requirement.
    2. Any city, parish, or other local school system that participates in a four-day school week on or before December 31, 2025 may continue operating on a four-day school week.
  • Existing law retained: The bill preserves current requirements for instructional time and the school year (minimum of 360 minutes per day and 177 instructional days per year).
  • Effective date: The act becomes effective upon the governor’s signature or, if not signed, the lapse of time for gubernatorial action. If vetoed and overridden, it would take effect the day after legislative approval.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Public schools serving grades 1–12 across Louisiana would be affected by the new five-day week requirement.
  • Districts with A performance scores would be exempt from the five-day rule.
  • Districts already operating a four-day week (as of December 31, 2025) could continue four days if they meet the specified condition.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Legal framework added: Adds a new subsection to R.S. 17:154.1(D) codifying the five-day week requirement and exceptions.
  • Legislative history notes: The bill passed the Senate (favorably, 10-3) and moved through standard readings; it has not yet become law as of the provided material.
  • No mandatory transition timeline is specified for districts moving to five days, beyond the general effective date provisions.

Practical Implications

  • Districts with high performance (A) could avoid shifting to a five-day week, maintaining their current schedule.
  • Districts that have been operating on a four-day week as of the 2025 cutoff may maintain that schedule, potentially delaying broader statewide adoption of the five-day standard.
  • The change aligns weekly scheduling with other instructional time requirements (minutes per day and overall instructional days) while allowing targeted exemptions.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law and a brief impact assessment for different district scenarios.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.