H149 - Disaster Recovery Act of 2024. (SL 2024-51)

School Calendar Flexibility – Provides calendar flexibility to public school units that closed any school under their control due to Hurricane Helene or PTC8 from September 2024 to November 2024. For schools located in a county designated under a major disaster declaration by the President of the United States as a result of Hurricane Helene, the public school unit can deem complete up to 20 days. For other schools affected by Hurricane Helene or PTC8, the public school unit can deem complete up to two days.

Additional Remote Instruction – Public school units in a county designated under a major disaster declaration by the President of the United States as a result of Hurricane Helene can use additional remote instruction days or equivalent hours up to a total of 30 remote instruction days or 180 remote instruction hours. Public school units located in a county affected by PTC8 can use additional remote instruction days or equivalent hours up to a total of 10 remote instruction days or 60 remote instruction hours.

Employee Compensation – Except for charter schools, all employees and contractors are deemed to have worked on any scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene that a public school unit has deemed completed. The board of directors of a charter school can, but is not required to, provide this compensation for its employees and contractors. Additionally, this section provides $16 million for compensation to the employees and contractors of schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program who would have been compensated by school meal receipts or by federal funds.

Reporting Requirement – The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division on the implementation of these provisions by March 15, 2025. Public school units must provide information on implementation of these provisions to DPI by February 15, 2025.

Section 8.1 of S.L. 2024‑51 became effective October 10, 2024, and subsequent changes in Section 1B.1 of S.L. 2024‑57 became effective December 11, 2024.