Conference report makes the following changes to the 5th edition:

Changes the long title.

Amends GS 115C-238.29D(f), providing that a charter school can, without prior approval of the State Board of Education, expand to offer one grade higher or lower (previously, could only expand a higher grade) than the charter school currently offers if the charter school meets specified criteria. Makes a clarifying change. Adds language to the required criteria that a charter school must meet, now requiring that the charter school must have been in operation for less than three years. Makes conforming changes. 

Amends proposed GS 115C-238.29F(b1) to provide that a charter school cannot discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability (previously, could not discriminate with respect to any category protected under the US Constitution or under federal law applicable to the states).

Amends GS 115C-238.29F(g)(5), substituting the word "sex" for the word"gender" in proposed language that now provides that a charter school whose mission is single-sex education can limit admission on the basis of sex.

Amends proposed GS 115C-238.29F(m), making a clarifying change and providing that inspection of charter school personnel records for those employees directly employed by the board of directors of the charter schools can be subject to the requirements of GS Chapter 115C, Article 21A (previously provided that the inspection of charter school employee personnel records is subject to the requirements of GS 115C, Article 21A). Deletes language that previously provided that information contained in GS 115C-320(a)(1) (names of local board of education employees) is not open to inspection.  Adds language that provides that the charter school and board of directors of the private nonprofit corporation that operates the charter school must use the same schedule established by the Department of Cultural Resources for retention and disposition of records of local school administrative units. 

Amends proposed GS 20-84(b)(3a), concerning permanent registration plates for motor vehicles owned and exclusively operated by a nonprofit corporation that operates a charter school, providing that the motor vehicle can only be used for student transportation and official charter school-related activities. 

House amendments 1, 2, 3, and 5 make the following changes to the 4th edition.

Amends the bill's long title to better reflect the bill's content.

Amends GS 20-84(b), to add a new subdivision (3a), which makes charter schools eligible to receive permanent registration plates. Repeals this section July 1, 2015.

Amends Section 6.5 of this act to direct the State Board of Education not to require applicants selected by the fast-track replication process as prescribed in this act to engage in a planning year. Requires the applicants under the fast-track replication process to meet the requirements in Part 6A of Article 16 of GS Chapter 115C and the additional requirements as specified in this section.

Amends GS 115C-238.29D(f) to provide that it is not a material revision of a charter application and does not require prior approval of the State Board for a charter school to offer one grade higher than the charter school currently offers. Prohibits a charter school from increasing enrollment in an expansion grade level added under this subdivision. Expires July 1, 2018.

Clarifies that except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

Senate amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Inserts a Section 1.5 in this act to amend GS 115C-238.29D(a) by making stylistic and organizational changes to that subsection.

Amends the date by which the State Board of Education must make final decisions approving or denying charter school applications. Directs the SBE to make its decision to approve or deny a charter application by August 15 of a calendar year (was, January 15 of a calendar year) on all applications that the SBE receives before a date set by the Office of Charter Schools by which applications must be received in that application cycle.

Amends GS 115C-238.29D(d) to include as a basis for which a charter may be renewed for a period less than 10 years that the charter school is not in compliance with state law, federal law, the school's own by-laws, or the provisions set forth in its charter granted by the SBE.

Amends GS 115C-238.29F(g)(5a) to extend priority enrollment for the children of the charter school's board of directors beyond the first year of the charter's operation.

Amends GS 115C-238.39H(c) to add a new requirement that local school administrative units provide, within the specified 30-day time period and to charter schools receiving a per pupil share, any additional information that is requested by a charter school so that the charter school can audit and verify the calculation and transfer of the per pupil share of the local current expense fund.

Amends GS 115C-238.39H(d) to provide that the court must, in regards to the mediation process allowed in GS 115C-238.39H(b), order delinquent funds, costs, fees and interest to be paid in full no later than one year (was, three years) from the entry of any judgment.

Amends the competitive bid process for schools that show inadequate performance, providing that interested entities must have operated another charter school in North Carolina for at least three years (was, five years).

Makes technical changes.

Directs the State Board of Education (Board) to adopt processes and rules for fast tracking replication of high-quality charter schools that are operating in North Carolina. Requires charter schools to meet one of these two requirements to qualify for the fast-tracking replication: (1) has student academic outcomes comparable to outcomes of students in the local school administrative unit and can provide three years of financially sound audits or (2) agrees to contract with an education/charter management organization that can demonstrate that it can replicate high-quality charter schools in North Carolina. Requires the Board to ensure that the rules for the replication process provide that decisions on whether to grant a charter through the process are completed in less than 120 days. Requires the Board to adopt rules and procedures for the process by December 15, 2014. Also requires the Board to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by February 15, 2015.

Provides that the act is effective on ratification and applies beginning with the 2014-15 school year, with Section 5.6 of the act applying to actions filed on or after the effective date.

Makes conforming changes to the long title.