To permit school district boards of education to excuse graduating twelfth-grade students from attending school on make-up days that occur after the scheduled high school graduation ceremonies and to declare an emergency.

Section 1. (A) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in division (B) of the version of section 3317.01 of the Revised Code in effect until July 1, 2014, in section 3321.01 or 3321.04 of the Revised Code, or in any rule of the State Board of Education, for the 2013-2014 school year only, a school district board of education may excuse graduating twelfth-grade students from attendance in school for any days or hours the students' schools are open for instruction after the district's scheduled graduation ceremony, as a result of adding days or hours to the school calendar to make up days or hours the schools were closed that school year for any of the reasons prescribed in division (B) of the version of section 3317.01 of the Revised Code in effect until July 1, 2014, in order to meet the required number of days of instruction prescribed by the versions of sections 3313.48, 3313.481, and 3317.01 of the Revised Code in effect prior to July 1, 2014. A school district that excuses graduating twelfth-grade students in accordance with this section shall not be considered to have failed to comply with the versions of sections 3313.48, 3313.481, and 3317.01 of the Revised Code in effect prior to July 1, 2014.

(B) For the 2013-2014 school year, a school district may excuse students in the twelfth grade from attendance in school for any school day prior to the district's scheduled graduation ceremony, only in accordance with division (B) of the version of section 3317.01 of the Revised Code in effect prior to July 1, 2014, or the rules on excuses from school attendance adopted by the State Board of Education, or if the students' schools are closed to all students for days or during hours they are scheduled to be open for instruction.

Section 2.  This act is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity lies in the fact that immediate action is necessary to provide school districts the authorization to excuse graduating students from making up days missed in the current school year that occur after the scheduled graduation ceremony due to the school district exceeding the number of excused "calamity" school days permitted by law. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.