Arizona instructional hours calculator
Enter your bell schedules and calendar to see instructional hours against ARS 15-901 (356 to 890 hours by grade) and the 180-day count.
Arizona, grades 4 to 8: 890 hours and 180 days a year.
Your school year
Meets the Arizona minimum
1,186 hours of 890 hours
A planning aid, not a ruling: the Arizona Department of Education has the final word.
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Where the minutes come from
| Day type | Days | Each day | Year |
|---|
PE minutes, every 10 school days
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How Arizona counts instructional hours
Full-time students must be enrolled for the hours in ARS 15-901 and schools must hold 180 days, or the same instruction on a board-approved calendar with a different number of days (ARS 15-341.01).
| Grades | Each year | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 356 hours | 180 |
| Grades 1 to 3 | 712 hours | 180 |
| Grades 4 to 8 | 890 hours | 180 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | 720 hours | 180 |
Since 2018 (SB 1008) the scheduled regular school day counts, lunch included, and the department’s recess toolkit says recess and lunch may be counted. Older pages citing a 2008 Attorney General opinion describe the old rule. Passing time counts between two classes, up to 7 minutes, but not to or from lunch, homeroom, study hall or recess (ADE policy GE-19). GE-19 dates from 2013, before the 2018 law, so confirm passing next to lunch with ADE School Finance. K to 5 need two recess periods a day (ARS 15-118). Remote time under an instructional time model (ARS 15-901.08) is not counted here.
Questions about instructional time in Arizona
How many instructional hours does Arizona require?
356 hours for kindergarten (funded as half time), 712 for grades 1 to 3, 890 for grades 4 to 8 and 720 for high school with at least four subjects, each over a 180-day year (ARS 15-901(A)(1)).
Does lunch or recess count in Arizona?
Yes, since 2018. SB 1008 removed the line that kept lunch and recess out, and ARS 15-901 now counts the hours students are scheduled to attend during the regular school day, lunch included. The department’s 2018 recess toolkit says recess and lunch may be counted. Pages citing the 2008 Attorney General opinion describe the old rule.
Does passing time count in Arizona?
Between two classes, up to 7 minutes each time. Passing to or from lunch, homeroom, study hall or recess does not count (ADE policy GE-19). GE-19 was last revised in 2013, before the 2018 law let lunch count, so this page still leaves out passing next to lunch; confirm with ADE School Finance.
How many recesses are required in Arizona?
At least two recess periods a day for kindergarten to grade 5, one for half-day kindergarten. A PE class can count as one, and play time during a scheduled lunch period is recess too. Middle schools and schools that start at grade 5 are exempt (ARS 15-118).
Can a four-day week meet the 180 days?
Yes, if the governing board approves a calendar with an equivalent number of minutes of instruction on fewer days (ARS 15-341.01). The hours requirement still applies.
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This is a planning aid, not a ruling: the Arizona Department of Education’s decision is final, and your district may count more strictly. Sources: ARS 15-901; ARS 15-341.01; ARS 15-118 (recess); ARS 15-901.08; ADE Arizona Recess Toolkit, 2018 (lunch and recess); ADE policy GE-19, Passing Time (2013); SB 1008, Laws 2018, ch. 157.