(a) If a superintendent closes school for a regularly scheduled school day due to exceptional or emergency circumstances such as a contagious disease outbreak, inclement weather, or other acts of God, the superintendent may make up missed school days by adding time to the beginning or ending of a regular school day for a minimum of sixty (60) minutes.
(b)
(1) The Commissioner of Education may grant up to the equivalent of ten (10) student attendance days for public school districts that have an alternative instruction plan approved by the commissioner for the use of alternative methods of instruction, including without limitation virtual learning, on days when the public school district is closed due to exceptional or emergency circumstances such as:
(A) A contagious disease outbreak, inclement weather, or other acts of God; or
(B) A utility outage.
(2) The public school district's alternative instruction plan shall demonstrate how teaching and learning in the public school district will not be negatively impacted by the use of alternative methods of instruction under subdivision (b)(1) of this section.