Bad weather and widespread illness often lead to school closures.

Parents and teachers have to figure out what to do with their kids.

But Kentucky lawmakers have to troubleshoot, too.

One lawmaker has an idea for how school districts could meet their required days of in-person instruction.

Our June Lefler has more as we begin tonight.

Legislative update.

Kentucky students have already had their fair share of snow days and non traditional instruction or NTI days.

But districts can only count so many remote learning days towards a 170 day school year.

But I know as of yesterday, over 40 districts had already used all ten of their days.

So when you've used all ten of your days and then you're hit with a flood, what are you going to do?

This lawmaker who happens to be an elementary school principal proposes some changes just for this school year.

House Bill 241, would allow the state education commissioner to grant districts five extra 90 days come June of this year.

He can excuse another five days for severe weather.

Districts can overhauled their school calendars if necessary, including making some school days longer.

I do not want our kids not in the building.

I promise you, I want my kids right there in the building each and every day, as much as I can get them there.

But I also know that when you're going to school in June, that's that's not a good situation.

The kids hard aren't their parents aren't there.

There's vacations going on.

So we need to try to get them in the seats as much as possible between now and June to get as much instruction in as we can so that we can make sure that our kids are reading proficient at the proficient level.

The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee advanced the measure with just one no vote.

The committee also approved a proposal to get wearable panic alert devices in every school.

You push the button on the back and it sends a signal to the local 911 call center.

The EMT first responders and the front office resource officer.

Depending on how many times you push the button, the building will have been professionally mapped and therefore, law enforcement and first responders will know exactly where their help is needed.

Seconds matter in an emergency.

This is not only for an active shooter.

That would be our worst nightmare.

I've got four little grandkids.

That would be our worst nightmare.

But it can be used for medical emergencies, for fights, etc.. House Bill 14 would be named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

Alyssa's mom spoke to Kentucky lawmakers today.

The principal of Alyssa's was simple.

Time equals life, and we need to get our kids and teachers to safety quickly and reduce the response time of first responders.

A Lexington Democrat explains the costs of this potentially life saving equipment.

So the entire cost on the high end would be $6 million.

On the low end, it would be about $2 million.

The way we set up the bill in the draft here is a 5050 match.

So the local school district would have some skin in the game as well as the General Assembly.

If House Bill 14 becomes law, the bill's sponsors say the legislature would need to put up that money in the next budget session.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Jeanne Lefler.