DISCIPLINE CHANGES. (NEW)

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View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 207 (Public) Filed Thursday, February 23, 2023
AN ACT TO ALLOW FOR WRITTEN ACCOUNTS FOR INCIDENTS THAT MAY RESULT IN SHORT-TERM OR LONG-TERM SUSPENSIONS AND TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SHORT-TERM SUSPENSION PROCESS.
Intro. by Elmore, Clemmons, Torbett.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (House action) (Jun 24 2024)

SOG comments (1):

Long title change

Senate committee substitute to the 1st edition changed the long title. Original title was AN ACT TO ALLOW EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONALS TO OBTAIN CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS FROM COMPLETING MANDATORY TRAININGS.

Bill History:

H 207

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Jun 20 2024 - View Summary

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

    Amends proposed GS 115C-390.2(h1) to no longer limit the eye-witness account to those provided by school personnel or the student subject to discipline. Allows the witness account to be written or oral, but requires the principal or their designee to reduce an oral account to writing. Requires the account to be provided by the end of the school day following the day the principal or their designee is given notice of the incident (was, within 24 hours of the incident) and specifies that nothing prohibits the principal or designee from accepting any detailed eyewitness account after that date. 


  • Summary date: Jun 12 2024 - View Summary

    Senate committee substitute replaces the 1st edition in its entirety with the following. Makes conforming changes to the act's titles.

    Section 1

    Amends GS 115C-390.2 to direct governing bodies of public school units to require principals or their designees to accept a detailed, written eyewitness account of an incident that could result in a short-term or long-term suspension by either school personnel or the student subject to discipline within 24 hours of the incident.

     Section 2

    Amends the short-term suspension procedures under GS 115C-390.6 as follows. Requires the principal or their designee to provide the student with detailed, written information of the specific section of the public school unit's Code of Student Conduct (Code) that the student's conduct violated and how the conduct violated that section at the informal hearing. Provides for a right of appeal for students in grade nine or above if the short-term suspension is for five or more days and the appeal is made within 14 days of the principal's decision. Requires the principal or their designee to give the student information on their right to appeal at the informal hearing. Requires the governing body of the public school unit to adopt a policy with the procedures for the appeal. Provides for an appeal hearing and a written decision on the appeal based on substantial evidence to uphold or reverse the principal’s decision. Makes conforming changes.

    Section 3

    Amends GS 115C-402 to create a process for expunction of any notice of a short-term suspension imposed on a student in grade nine or above. Requires that the notice be expunged from the record, at the earliest, at the end of the school year in which the suspension was imposed if the student’s parent, legal guardian, or the student (if at least 16 years of age) requests the expungement, the student graduates from high school or has not been expelled or suspended again during the same school year, and the superintendent or their designee determines that the record is no longer needed to maintain safe and orderly schools or to adequately serve the child.

    Applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. 


  • Summary date: Feb 23 2023 - View Summary

    Amends GS 115C-270.30 (Teacher License renewal) to permit teachers to count hours spent attending mandatory trainings toward the continuing education hours required for renewal of their teaching license so long as the training program is required as a condition of employment and all other continuing education requirements for renewal are met. Also amends this section to prohibit the State Board of Education (SBE) from requiring continuing education hours solely related to digital teaching/learning, but to allow the SBE to require up to 2 continuing education hours that have a digital teaching/learning component.