GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

H                                                                                                                                                   D

HOUSE BILL DRH40151-MT-58   (02/14)

 

 

 

Short Title:      School Calendar Flex./Certain School Systems.

(Local)

Sponsors:

Representatives Jordan, Elmore, and Stevens (Primary Sponsors).

Referred to:

 

 

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO AllEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOLS, ASHE COUNTY schoolS, AND WILKES COUNTY SCHOOLS IN ADOPTING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.

Whereas, the local boards of education for Alleghany County Schools, Ashe County Schools, and Wilkes County Schools should be able to schedule school opening and closing dates for any school located in those local school administrative units to coincide with the opening and closing dates of Wilkes Community College; and

Whereas, school calendar flexibility would benefit all students in Alleghany County Schools, Ashe County Schools, and Wilkes County Schools who are enrolled in classes through Wilkes Community College by allowing them to align their fall and spring semesters with the fall and spring semesters at Wilkes Community College; and

Whereas, school calendar flexibility would allow Alleghany County Schools, Ashe County Schools, Wilkes County Schools, and Wilkes Community College to meet the workforce development needs in Alleghany, Ashe, and Wilkes counties more effectively than the current structure by helping high school and college students develop the skills necessary for business and industry; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) reads as rewritten:

"(d)      Opening and Closing Dates. – Local boards of education shall determine the dates of opening and closing the public schools under subdivision (a)(1) of this section. Except for year‑round schools, the opening date for students shall be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26, and the closing date for students shall be no later than the Friday closest to June 11. On a showing of good cause, the State Board of Education may waive the requirement that the opening date for students be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and may allow the local board of education to set an opening date no earlier than the Monday closest to August 19, to the extent that school calendars are able to provide sufficient days to accommodate anticipated makeup days due to school closings. A local board may revise the scheduled closing date if necessary in order to comply with the minimum requirements for instructional days or instructional time. For purposes of this subsection, the term "good cause" means that schools in any local school administrative unit in a county have been closed eight days per year during any four of the last 10 years because of severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations.

The required opening and closing dates under this subsection shall not apply to any school that a local board designated as having a modified calendar for the 2003‑2004 school year or to any school that was part of a planned program in the 2003‑2004 school year for a system of modified calendar schools, so long as the school operates under a modified calendar."

SECTION 2.  This act applies only to Alleghany County Schools, Ashe County Schools, and Wilkes County Schools.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2017‑2018 academic year.