EDUC. SOFTWARE/SWD TUITION (NEW).

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View NCGA Bill Details2015-2016 Session
House Bill 15 (Public) Filed Wednesday, January 28, 2015
AN ACT TO CLARIFY THAT SOUTH PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAY EARN BUDGET FTE FOR CERTAIN STUDENT COURSE ENROLLMENTS AS OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE AND TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO USE FUNDS TO ENTER INTO A STATEWIDE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT FOR OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO ADOPT RULES AND POLICIES LIMITING THE NONINSTRUCTIONAL DUTIES OF TEACHERS, TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF PRINCIPAL PREPARATION, TO AMEND THE PROCESS FOR TUITION ENDORSEMENTS AND REIMBURSEMENTS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND TO EXEMPT STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS AND THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FROM PAYING FEES FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS.
Intro. by Pendleton, Stam.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate Action) (Sep 29 2015)

SOG comments (1):

Change Long Title

House amendments to 2nd edition changed long title.  Long title was AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO USE FUNDS TO ENTER INTO A STATEWIDE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT FOR OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF PRINCIPAL PREPARATION, TO AMEND THE PROCESS FOR TUITION ENDORSEMENTS AND REIMBURSEMENTS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND TO EXEMPT STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS AND THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FROM PAYING FEES FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS. 

H 15

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Sep 29 2015 - View Summary

    House amendments make the following changes to the 2nd edition.

    Amendment #1

    Amends the long title.

    Amends Section 10.11(b) of SL 2015-241, the Appropriations Act, concerning the federal Youth Career Connect Grant awarded to Anson County Schools for 2014-18, which requires students to enroll in community college classes, adding new language that provides that the South Piedmont Community College cannot earn budget FTE for such student enrollments under this grant, unless the student course enrollment is authorized in GS 115D-20(4)a, which authorizes specified course enrollment through certain programs.

    Amendment #2

    Amends the long title.

    Repeals Section 8.45 of SL 2015-241, which repealed GS 115C-47(18a)b.

    Amends GS 115C-47(18a), making technical changes and providing that teachers with 27 or more years of experience are not assigned extracurricular activities unless those absences from participation would prevent the safe and effective operation of the school.

    Amendment #3

    Amends GS 115C-296(b)(1), as amended by Section 8.46(a) of SL 2015-241, concerning continued licensure of a teacher, providing for continued licensure of retired teachers who (1) have 30 years or more of teaching experience upon retirement and (2) serve as a substitute teacher or are employed by a local school administrative unit in a part-time position, providing any of the specified services (previously, continued licensure was contingent on the retired teacher serving as a substitute teacher at least once every three years after retirement, and no other part-time employment was acceptable). Also directs the State Board of Education to include in its standards for continued licensure that retired teachers must have at least 640 hours of documented employment in a local school administrative unit and at least one continuing education credit each renewal cycle (previously, for continued licensure, had to serve as a substitute, plus 640 hours of documents substitute teaching each renewal cycle plus certain professional development education hours). Effective September 1, 2015, applying with the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. 


  • Summary date: Sep 29 2015 - View Summary

    House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

    Amends the short and long titles.

    Deletes all of the provisions of the previous edition and replaces it with the following.

    Amends SL 2015-241 by adding new Section 8.49, which authorizes the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to use appropriated funds for the 2015-16 fiscal year and following fiscal years for the purposes of (1) a statewide purchasing agreement for office productivity software for students, teachers, and other staff of NC public schools and (2) for the provision of technical support and professional development involving the use of the software. 

    Amends Section 11.9 of SL 2015-241, concerning the competitive grant program for NC public schools, to establish the Office of Principal Preparation (Office) within the State Education Assistance Authority (Authority) for the purposes of (1) the awarding competitive grants; (2) developing and overseeing the selection and on-going process, renewal, and reporting components; (3) building a portfolio of approved technical assistance providers to grantees; and (4) working with educational communities across North Carolina for the implementation of the specified programs. Sets out provisions governing the Office director and staff, including specified administrative policies and information. Provides that the Office will issue an initial RFP with guidelines and criteria for the grants no later than January 1, 2016. Also provides that by March 1, 2016, the Office must recommend to the Authority recipients of the grants.

    Adds new section 11.9(m) concerning the extension of deadlines for the competitive grant program, allowing extension of the specified deadlines for good faith effort to meet the deadlines, given that the deadlines can only be extended by an additional 30 days. 

    Sets out how the $500,000, beginning with the 2016-17 fiscal year, allocated to the Authority can be used, with (1) $475,000 used to hire the Office director and staff and for operating expenses and (2) $25,000 used by the Authority for administrative costs regarding the creating of the program.

    Deletes all provisions previously found in this section which detailed the contracting by the Authority with a nonprofit for administration for the competitive grant program. Makes conforming changes, deleting or updating references to such a nonprofit. 

    Amends GS 115C-112.6(b1)(1), as enacted by Section 11.11(a) of SL 2015-241, deleting language previously found in subdivision (1) and adding new language concerning the process for tuition endorsements and reimbursements for scholarships, requiring the Authority to disburse scholarship funds, for endorsement by a student's parent or guardian, at least twice each school year for tuition for attendance to a nonpublic school that meets certain specified criteria.  Provides that the parent or guardian must restrictively endorse the funds for deposit into the account of the school. Noncompliance with such requirements can result in a forfeiture of scholarship amounts. Also provides processes for reimbursement for tuition for eligible students that enroll in one of two specified types of schools: (1) a NC public school other than the public school to which the student was assigned or (2) a nonpublic school that meets certain specified requirements and does not participate in the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Provides that if enrollment totals less than 75 days of the semester, then reimbursement will be on a pro rata reimbursement. Applies to scholarships awarded for the 2015-16 school year and each subsequent school year.

    Enacts GS 116-235.5, Advanced courses, which provides that students at the NC School of Science and Mathematics or in high school courses at the NC School of the Arts must have access and be encouraged to enroll in rigorous advanced courses, with the ends being success in achieving a postsecondary education. Defines advanced course as an AP class or an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme course. Sets out process for exempting fees for examinations for advanced courses and reimbursement to the UNC system for such fees. Amends GS 116-69 to provide that the NC School of the Arts can offer advanced courses such as those described above. 

    Effective July 1, 2015. 


  • Summary date: Jan 28 2015 - View Summary

    Amends GS 115D-5(v) to allow Community Colleges to teach the Universal General Education Transfer Courses, as found in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the University of North Carolina and the NC Community College System, at any time during the year, including the summer term. 

    Requires the State Board of Community Colleges to report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee by October 1, 2015, on full-time equivalent students for the summer 2015 term. 

    Effective when the act becomes law and applies beginning with the 2015 summer term.