Section 37700 - Districts authorized to operate; reduction of local control funding formula allocation(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Big Sur Unified School District, the Leggett Valley Unified School District, and the Reeds Creek Elementary School District may operate one or more schools in their respective school districts on a four-day school week, if the school district complies with the instructional time requirements specified in Section 37701 and the other requirements of this chapter.(b)(1) A school district operating one or more schools on a four-day school week pursuant to this section shall annually, not later than June 1, submit to the department for review and approval a plan for how the school district will ensure that the minimum instructional minutes required under Section 46207 will be met in the following school year.(2) If the school district offered less than the minimum instructional minutes required under Section 46207, the school district shall be subject to the penalties described in subdivision (b) of Section 46207 and subdivision (c) of Section 46208. Nothing in this section shall be construed to subject a school district that has met the minimum instructional minutes required under Section 46207 to those penalties.(c) A school district with an exclusive bargaining representative may operate a school on a four-day school week pursuant to this section only if the school district and the representative of each bargaining unit of school district employees mutually agree to that operation in a memorandum of understanding.(d) Instructional time penalties shall not be imposed pursuant to this section, as this section read on June 1, 2019, for the 2016-17 fiscal year to the 2018-19 fiscal year, inclusive, on a school district operating one or more schools on a four-day school week.(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b) of this section and Section 37701, for the 2020-21 fiscal year only, the Big Sur Unified School District, the Leggett Valley Unified School District, and the Reeds Creek Elementary School District may operate one or more schools in their respective school districts on a four-day school week, if the school district complies with the following requirements and the other requirements of this chapter: (1) Each day, pupils shall be scheduled for at least the minimum day for their grade level, as provided in Section 43501.(2) The school district shall offer a minimum of 144 days of instruction for the 2020-21 school year.(3) Instructional minutes shall be determined as follows:(A) For in-person instruction, instructional minutes shall be based on time scheduled under the immediate physical supervision and control of an employee of the local educational agency who possesses a valid certification document, registered as required by law.(B) For distance learning, instructional time shall be based on the time value of assignments as determined, and certified to, by an employee of the local educational agency who possesses a valid certification document, registered as required by law.(C) For a combined day of instruction delivered through both in-person instruction and distance learning, time scheduled under the immediate supervision of an employee of the local educational agency who possesses a valid certification document can be combined with assignments made under the general supervision of an employee of the local educational agency who possesses a valid certification document as registered by law to meet the equivalent of a minimum day of instruction.(4) If the school district offers instruction through distance learning, the requirements of distance learning in Part 24.5 (commencing with Section 43500).(5) If the school district does not meet the minimum instructional day requirements in Section 43501, the school district shall be subject to the penalties described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of Section 43504.Amended by Stats 2020 ch 110 (SB 820),s 9, eff. 9/18/2020.Amended by Stats 2019 ch 51 (SB 75),s 19, eff. 7/1/2019.Amended by Stats 2014 ch 33 (SB 859),s 13, eff. 6/20/2014.Amended by Stats 2013 ch 47 (AB 97),s 19, eff. 7/1/2013.Amended by Stats 2003 ch 237 (SB 674), eff. 8/11/2003.