Part I

Amends GS 115C-366 to modify the conditions that permit a student who is an not a domiciliary of a local school administrative unit to attend a public school of that unit without payment. Currently, allows for the student to attend if he or she resides with an adult who is a domiciliary of the unit and the parent or legal guardian is on active military duty and is deployed out of the local school administrative unit in which the student resides. Replaces the provision to provide for situations in which the student resides with an adult who is a domiciliary of the administrative unit and the parent or legal guardian is on active military duty and his or her commanding officer provides a signed letter that the parent or legal guardian's military orders prevent the parent or legal guardian from physically residing with the student. Conditions assignment upon the commanding officer's letter including the required affidavits (existing requirement) of the student's parent, guardian or legal custodian, as well as an indication of the time period that the military orders will be in effect. Maintains that the term activity duty military excludes periods of active duty for training for less than 30 days. Amends the statute further to specify that no requirement of legal guardianship by the caregiver is required for a student to qualify for enrollment under these provisions.

Enacts GS 115C-366(a10) to establish that a student who is not a domiciliary of a local school administrative unit is permitted to register for enrollment in the public schools of that unit if the student resides in that unit with a parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian on active military duty who is assigned by official military order to a military installation or reservation in the State. Clarifies that this new provision does not curtail a unit's authority to deny admission to students previously suspended under GS 115C-366(a5).

Applies beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

Part II

Enacts GS 115C-550.1 and GS 115C-558.1 to require private church schools, schools of religious charter, and qualified nonpublic schools to annual report to the Division of Nonpublic Education, Department of Administration on enrolled military-connected students. Defines a military-connected student to mean a student enrolled who has a parent, stepparent, sibling, or any other person who resides in the same household serving in the active or reserve components of the specified Armed Forces. Specifies that identification as a military-connected student is not public record under state law and can only be made public as permitted under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or by the Division of Nonpublic Education to any liaison in the State employed by the State, a local government, or the Armed Forces.

Amends GS 115C-564 to require home schools to annually report a notice of intent to operate with the Division of Nonpublic Education and comply with the reporting of military-connected students consistent with new GS 115C-550.1 and GS 115C-558.1. Provides for a simplified process for a notice of intent for continued operations of home schools with no changes from the prior notice.

Requires the Division of Nonpublic Education to establish the simplified process for home schools to annually update the notice of intent to operate by August 1, 2020.

Applies to all nonpublic schools beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

Part III

Enacts GS 116-143.3(c1) to permit a dependent relative who resides with a member of the Armed Forces who is reassigned outside of the State incident to active duty military to remain eligible to be charged the in-State tuition rate at at state community college or UNC institution if two criteria are met: (1) at the time the dependent relative applies for admission, he or she is enrolled in a NC high school and meets the existing requirements for admission set out in subsection (c) of the act; and (2) the dependent relative enrolls no later than the fall academic year immediately following admission and remains continuously enrolled at the institution of higher education.

Applies to students admitted for the fall academic semester of 2020 and thereafter.