School is Cool Act
Be it enacted
Section 1: Instruction
1.) The minimum curriculum required for any public school system in the Southern Regions shall include the following:
(a) English: Grades 1-12
(b) Math: Grades
1-121-8 and at least 3 years in high school(c) Career Course: At least one high-school grade
(d) Natural Sciences: At least 10 grades
(e) Social Studies including Atlasian History, Civics, World History, Geography, and economics: Grades 1-12
(f) Computer Science: At least one high-school grade
(g) Foreign Language: At least
42 grades
(h) Health: At least two middle- or high-school grade
s2.) The total length of a school year shall be 180 days, conducted Monday through Friday. Each locality shall determine the starting date and ending date of each school year as well as dates on which school will not be held for holidays, adverse weather conditions, or other reasons which the locality determines warrant school closure. The school year must begin in either the month of August or the month of September and must conclude in either the month of May or the month of June. In the event that local weather conditions or other situations beyond the control of the locality result in a local school system being held for less than 180 days, the system may apply for a waiver from the Southern Chamber to avoid any penalties.
3.) All children over the age of 6 and under the age of 16 whose primary domicile is in the Southern Region shall be required to regularly attend classes in a public education system. Each locality shall determine the maximum number of days during the school year that a student may miss without a valid reason.
The maximum number of days allowed shall be no less than 15 per year. Valid reasons shall include illness, religious practice, a required appearance in court,
travel (with prior notice), or other reasons as allowed by the locality. Failure of a student to attend the minimum number of days required
shall result in a enforcement proceedings in the local Juvenile Court, or the local general district court if no such Juvenile Court has been established. The presiding judge shall have the power to determine reasonable remedies to ensure truants attend school. shall be left up to the school district to determine appropriate remedies to ensure they attends school. Students may not be expelled or suspended from school for failing to attend.4.) The parents or guardians of any child may opt their child out of the compulsory public education system provided they enroll their child in a private school program or home school program which meets the minimum requirements established for curriculum and school year length as proscribed in this act.
Section 2: Instructors
1.) Any teacher who is hired to teach in a public school system in the Southern Region shall meet the following requirements:
a) High School Diploma or GED
b) No prior conviction for a violent crime or crime of moral turpitude.
c) Adequate instruction in curriculum, teaching methods, and behavioral management as determined by each individual school district.
2.) The Southern Region shall create a loan forgiveness program for teachers. In addition to salary, any teacher in the Southern Region who teaches for 7 years at a public school where the median income level for students is less than or equal to the poverty line, shall have the liability for paying any outstanding student loans assumed by the Southern Region. A loan forgiveness trust fund is hereby created for the purposes of paying off the assumed loans. $500 Million is hereby appropriated into the trust fund, to be invested in interest bearing bonds, until such time as eligible teachers qualify for the program.
Section 3: Students
1.) Any public school system may allow students in the same administrative district who are enrolled in a lawful home school program to participate in extracurricular activities conducted by the public school system, provided the home school students are subject to the same waiver of liability applicable to public school students.
2.) No public school system may prohibit a student from possessing or wearing sunscreen.
3.) Any State College which does not enforce the student protections in the SNOWFLAKE Act of 2017 shall not be eligible for ANY Regional funding, must pay an annual excise tax on total endowments of 10%, and must pay an annual excise tax on attendance of $1,000 per student.
Section 4: Transportation
1.) Any School Bus purchased by any public school in the Southern Region after December 31, 2022 shall contain seat belts for each seat.
2.) Any public school system may pool together with other public school systems for the purpose of jointly purchasing school buses.
3.) Any public school system may sell advertising space on the sides of their school buses, provided the revenue generated from such sales is used for educational activities within the school system
