(a) General authorization.--As an alternative to achieving 180 days of instruction as required under section 1501 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L. 30, No. 14),¹ known as the Public School Code of 1949, for the 1996-1997 school year only, the Secretary of Education shall authorize, without need of application, each school district of the third class affected by flash floods occurring July 19, 1996, to have the option of computing instructional time on an hourly basis of 990 hours or a daily basis, including Saturdays, selected by the district.

(b) Religious observance exceptions.--The chief commissioned officer of the school district which exercises the authority granted under subsection (a) shall excuse a student to observe or participate in a religious activity or function upon the written notification of the observance or participation by the student's parent or guardian. A student's absence from school pursuant to this subsection shall be considered an instructional day and shall not be recorded as an absence on the student's attendance record or on the record of any group or class of which the student is a member. There shall be no penalty attached for any absences pursuant to this subsection.

(c) Payment of teachers' salaries.--No temporary professional or professional employee of any school closed by reason of the flash floods occurring July 19, 1996, shall receive more or less compensation than that to which the employee would otherwise have been entitled to receive from the school district had the flash flood occurring July 19, 1996, not occurred.