GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

H                                                                                                                                                   D

HOUSE DRH30100-MK-121  (03/12)

 

 

 

Short Title:        School Calendar Flex./Charlotte-Meck Schools.		(Local)
Sponsors:	Representatives Bryan, Bradford, Cotham, and Bishop (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:

 

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO THE CHARLOTTE‑MECKLENBURG BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCREASE STUDENT PROFICIENCY FOR STUDENTS AND TO EXPAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS IN ADOPTING THEIR SCHOOL CALENDAR.

Whereas, it is the intent of the North Carolina General Assembly to maximize both student proficiency and student growth throughout its infrastructure of public schools throughout the State;

Whereas, aligning the K‑12 testing calendar and semester end dates will allow students to minimize winter learning loss, increase end‑of‑course test scores, and allow students who graduate from high school in December to enroll in college without missing the first few weeks of the semester;

Whereas, shifting the school calendar will allow teachers and other school employees to more easily complete meaningful professional development opportunities;

Whereas, a week of instructional time is routinely wasted across the State in January when teachers have no other option than to invest a week in January to refresh their students across multiple content areas; 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 the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2015‑2016 school year.