An Act To Codify Minimum Instructional Hours In The State'S Schools

LD 1639 requires all Maine school administrative units to ensure each school provides at least 900 instructional hours annually. It defines "instructional hours" as time students spend on scheduled academic activities under staff supervision (excluding lunch, recess, or extracurriculars), allowing field trips related to academics to count toward the total. The bill permits the Education Commissioner to grant waivers for extraordinary disruptions like natural disasters, requiring written applications and recovery plans. School units must annually report compliance to the state, with potential consequences like withheld funding for noncompliance, effective starting the 2026-2027 school year.