SB 754 — School Calendar Flexibility:A New Alternative.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 21 SENATE BILL 754 Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 4/9/25 Short Title:

Senators Galey, Berger, and Lee (Primary Sponsors).

Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION IN ADOPTING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.

Except for year-round schools, the section and one of the following:

(1) ThetheThe opening date for students shall be is no earlier than the MondayMondayclosest closest to August 26, and the closing date for students shall be is no later than the Friday closest to June 11.

On(2) aThe showingopening ofdate goodfor cause,students theis Stateno Boardearlier ofthan Educationthe mayMonday allowclosest theto localAugust board19,solongasthereareanequalnumberofdaysinthespringandfallsemester, ofand educationthe toclosing setdate anfor openingstudents dateis no earlierlater than the MondayFriday closestimmediately topreceding Augustthe 19.last Monday in May.

(2)(d1) TheNotwithstanding openingthe forclosing studentsdate isrequirement noof earliersubsection than(d) theof Mondaythis closestsection, toa Augustlocal 19,board soof longeducation asmay, therewith areapproval anof equalthe numberState Board of daysEducation, inrevise the fallscheduled andclosing springdate semesters,of and the closingschool datecalendar forif studentsa isschool noexperienced laterclosures thancaused theby Fridaysevere immediatelyweather, precedingenergy shortages, power failures, or other emergencies, and additional instructional time is needed to comply with the lastminimum Mondayrequirements infor May.instructional days or hours.

(d1) Calendar Revision.

– Notwithstanding the closing date adopted in conformance with subsection (d) of this section, a local board of education may, with approval of the State Board of Education, revise the scheduled closing date for students if a school experiences closures caused by severe weather, energy shortages, power failures, or emergencies, and additional instructional time is needed to comply with minimum requirements for instructional days or hours.

*S754-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 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 section shall not apply to (i) 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 *S754-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 planned program in the 2003-2004 school year for asystem ofmodifiedcalendarschools,soofmodifiedcalendarschools, so long as the school operates under a modified calendar.calendarcalendar.calendar, and (ii) year-round schools.

… (f) Definitions.

– The following definitions shall apply in this section:

(1) Reserved.

(2) Reserved.

(3) Good cause.

– The closure of schools in any local school administrative unit in a county for 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.

Duty to comply with school calendar requirements.

(a) It is the duty of a local board of education to ensure that a local school administrative unit complies with the requirements of Part 2 of this Article.

(b) Negligent failure to ensure compliance with Part 2 of this Article shall be deemed misfeasance and willful effort to prevent compliance shall be deemed malfeasance.

"§ 115C-84.2B.

(a) The State Board of Education shall ensure that localpublic boardsschool ofunits educationcomply complywithwith G.S.Part 2 of this Article.

115C-84.2.(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify the State Board of Education and shall investigate whether the public school unit is in compliance with Part 2 of this Article if the Superintendent receives information from anyof the following indicatingthat a public school unit has not complied with the Part:

(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify the State Board of Education and shall investigate whether the local board of education is in compliance with G.S.

115C-84.2 if the Superintendent receives information from any of the following indicating that a local board of education has not complied with G.S.

115C-84.2:

(2) A report by an employee of the Department of Public Instruction responsible for monitoring compliance of a localpublic school administrative unit.

(d) Following submission of the report by the Superintendent, if the State Board of Education by a majority vote finds that the localgoverning boardbody of education has not complied with G.S.Part 2 of this Article, the State Board shall direct the governing body of the public school unit to take action to remedy the violation and submit documentation of the remedy to the State Board within 60 days.

115C-84.2,The the State Board shall directfind thethat locala boardpublic ofschool educationunit tois takenoncompliant actionwith toPart remedy2 theof violationthis andArticle submitif documentation of the remedySuperintendent's toreport theindicates Stateany Boardof withinthe 60following days.have occurred:

(1) The Stategoverning Boardbody shalladopted finda resolution or policy stating that athe localpublic boardschool ofunit educationwill isnot noncompliantcomply with G.S.Part 2 of this Article.

115C-84.2(2) ifThe thegoverning Superintendent'sbody reportapproved indicates any action counter to or incompatible with compliance of thePart following2 haveof occurred:this Article.

(1)(e) TheIf localthe boardgoverning body of educationthe adoptedpublic aschool resolutionunit orfails policyto statingcomply thatwith the State Board ofEducation direction as provided in subsection(d)ofthis section,theStateBoardshall withhold the local school administrative unitunit's willcentral notoffice complyadministration withallotment G.S.until the State Board determines the local board is no longer noncompliant.

115C-84.2.

Page 2 Senate Bill 754-Second Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) The local board of education approved any action counter to or incompatible with compliance with G.S.

115C-84.2.

(e) If the local board of education fails to comply with the State Board of Education direction as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the State Board shall withhold the local school administrative unit's central office administration allotment until the State Board determines the local board is no longer noncompliant.

The General Assembly shall consider, no later than the next session of the General Assembly, the future governance of the identified localpublic school administrative unit.

"§ 115C-84.2B.115C-84.2C.