Only 28 US States Set a 180-Day School Year, a New Survey of All 51 Rules Finds

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A new dataset compiled from current state law and board rules for all 50 states and DC shows that the common assumption of a 180-day school year is not universal. Only 28 states write 180 days into their rules, while 12 set no statewide day count and instead require a minimum number of instructional hours. Requirements vary widely, from Colorado's 160-day minimum to Kansas's 186 days for grades K-11, and Texas measures instruction in minutes. The creators released the data as a free CSV and JSON file, with the table also available on GradeKind, and note that Oregon and West Virginia have pending rule changes.

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