House committee substitute to the 3rd edition adds the following new content.

Amends SL 1969-874, as amended, as follows. Renames the Board of Education of Catawba County as the Catawba County Board of Education. Removes outdated language. Requires members to be elected to staggered four-year terms. Requires membership to be filled by nomination in the primaries and election in the general elections. Changes the timing of the notice of candidacy to now require notice to be filed at the same time as candidates for other county offices. Requires members to be elected on a partisan basis instead of a nonpartisan basis. Requires vacancies to be filled according to GS 115C-37.1. Makes additional conforming, clarifying, and technical changes. Specifies that this act does not affect the term of office of members elected to the Catawba County Board of Education in 2020 or 2022 and sets out provisions governing the filling of vacancies in office for those that were elected in 2020 or 2022. Applies to elections held in 2024 and thereafter.

Amends SL 1971-930 as follows. Renames the Board of Education of the Hickory Administrative School Unit as the Hickory City Board of Education. Removes outdated language. Requires members to be elected to staggered four-year terms. Requires members to be elected on a partisan basis instead of a nonpartisan basis and requires the election to be at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year as terms expire. Requires candidates to be nominated at the same time and manner as county officers. Requires the election to be conducted in accordance with GS Chapter 115C and 163. No longer requires the expense of the election to be paid by Catawba County. Requires Board candidates in any primary or general election to be qualified voters of Catawba County residing within the boundaries of the Hickory Administrative School Unit, and if filling a seat representing a ward, reside within the ward. Requires vacancies to be filled in accordance with GS 115C-37.1. Makes additional conforming, clarifying, and technical changes. Repeals Sections 5 (requiring a run-off election when there is a tie between two or more) and 6 (outdated language concerning the election of successors for the members from Ward 4 and Ward 6 and the member-at-large) of SL 1971-930. Prohibits elections for the Hickory City Board of Education in 2023, and extends the terms of the three members whose terms are set to expire in 2023 by one year and the terms of the four members with terms set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires that regular elections for the Board be conducted in even-numbered years beginning in 2024. Requires members elected in 2019 and 2021, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term for one of those members, to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified; sets out provisions governing the filling of vacancies for those members.

Amends SL 1935-200, as amended, as follows. Removes language related to the election of members to the Board of Trustees by voters residing in the Newton-Conover City Administrative Unit. Instead, requires the six member Newton-Conover City Board of Education to consist of three members representing the Newton district and three representing the Conover district, with members serving staggered four-year terms. Updates language to refer to Board members instead of Trustees. Requires members to be elected on a partisan basis at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year as terms expire. Requires Board candidates to be nominated at the same time and manner as county officers. Requires elections to be conducted according to GS Chapters 115C and 163. Requires candidate to file notice at the same time as candidates for county officers. Requires all candidates in the primary or general election to be qualified voters of Catawba County residing in the Newton-Conover Administrative School Unit who reside in the district for the seat apportioned to that district. Requires members to take office on the first Monday in December. Requires the election to be held and conducted by the Catawba County Board of Elections. Requires vacancies to be filled in accordance with GS 115C-37.1. Prohibits elections for the Newton-Conover City Board of Education in 2023, and extends the terms of the three members whose terms are set to expire in 2023 by one year and the terms of the four members with terms set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires that regular elections for the Board be conducted in even-numbered years beginning in 2024. Requires members elected in 2019 and 2021, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term for one of those members, to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified; sets out provisions governing the filling of vacancies for those members.

Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-37.1, effective December 1, 2024.

Amends the act's long title.