Flexible Instructional Days
A Flexible Instructional Day (FID) is a program available to public school entities to be used as an alternative approach to delivering instruction if a circumstance arises that prevents instruction in the customary manner.
Background and Eligibility
Section 1506 of the Public School Code allows public school entities to develop an FID program to meet the 180 instructional day requirement of section 1501. Eligible public school entities include school districts, intermediate units, career and technical schools, charter schools and regional charter schools, as defined under section 1703-A. An FID program may be online, offline, or a combination of both.
While public school entities are expected to build make-up days into their local school calendars, FID programs can support public school entities in cases when circumstances (e.g., a disease epidemic, a hazardous weather condition, a law enforcement emergency, the inoperability of school buses or other equipment necessary to the public school entity's operation, damage to a school building, or another temporary circumstance rendering any portion of a school building unfit or unsafe for use) prevent the delivery of instruction in its customary manner or location.
FID Use
School entities may not use an FID without an accepted application. A list of accepted applicants with effective and termination dates is available at FID Accepted Programs.
Public school entities with accepted applications can use this program for a single school building such as an elementary school if it is used for a reason noted in Section 1506. If a public school entity with an accepted application does use an FID for one building, this would count as one of the five days permitted each year for the entire public school entity.
A public school entity electing to participate must develop a local FID program that meets the assurances outlined in the application and its Board of School Directors must approve the FID program prior to acceptance by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
Application Submission and Deadline
- April 1, 2024 -- FID application will be available on the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP).
- June 1, 2024 -- Deadline for entities to submit complete 2023-24 SY applications.
- August 1, 2024 -- PDE will respond with a determination to applications that meet the deadline and submission requirements.
- Because the deadline is determined by Statute (24 P.S. § 15-1506 (c)(2)), PDE does not have the authority to provide extensions.
If accepted, the FID program may remain in place for a three-year period and may be renewed thereafter. Public school entities that had an accepted FID application beginning with the 2021-22 school year must reapply to continue to use FIDs before their expiration at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Application Access
Public school entities access and submit the 2024-2025 school year FID application using the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FCRRP).
The first step to gaining access to the FRCPP is to ensure that you are a registered user in MyPDESuite. If you are not a registered user, please reference this document: Register a Username and Log In.
Your school entity's Local Security Administrator can add/remove FRCPP users in MyPDESuite. Instructions for adding users and a step-by-step guide for using the FCRRP is available in the Accessing the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal and Gaining Access to LEA and School Plans.
For technical issues with accessing the portal, please contact the PA Planning Team at RA-EDFRCPP@pa.gov.
Annual Survey
Pursuant to 24 P.S. § 15-1506(6), PDE shall conduct an annual survey on the efficacy of FID programs on or before April 30 of each year. Each participating public school entity is required to return the survey to PDE by June 30. PDE will use the survey results to track FID usage, gauge overall effectiveness, and gather insights on implementation.
Public school entities that have applied in the past may contact PDE at the email address below to access their previous FID application on the SharePoint site.
For additional information, contact the PDE School Services Office at ra-fid@pa.gov.