Senate amendments make the following change to the 3rd edition.

Amendment #1 makes the following changes.

Deletes proposed GS 115C-238.29A1, North Carolina Public Charter Schools Board established, from the previous edition.

Amends GS 115C-238.29A, renaming Chapter to Purpose of charter schools and establishment of North Carolina Public Charter Schools Board.  Creates the 11-member North Carolina Public Charter Schools Board (Charter Board), located in the Department of Public Instruction but exercising its powers and duties independently of the State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction. Includes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as a secretary and nonvoting member. Sets out membership qualifications, terms of office, filling of vacancies, and meeting times and provides for officers and removal of members. Sets the Office of Charter Schools as the principal administrative unit under the direction of the Charter Board. Establishes the Charter Board's duties, including overseeing the process for accepting and approving applications for charters and overseeing the process for monitoring the operation of charter schools. Gives the State Board of Education veto power (with three-fourths vote) over any action adopted by vote of the Charter Board if the State Board's veto is taken within 45 days of the date of the Charter Board's vote to adopt the action. Makes a conforming change.

Senate amendment #2 makes the following changes to the 3rd edition.

Provides that during its first year of operation, a charter school may give enrollment priority to children of the initial members of the charter school's board of directors, so long as (i) these children are limited to no more than 10% of the school's total enrollment or to 20 students, whichever is less, and (ii) the charter school is not a former public school (was, is not a former public or private school).

Senate amendment #3 makes the following changes to the 3rd edition.

Amends GS 115C-238.29E(e), to provide that if a charter school has requested to lease available buildings or land and is unable to reach an agreement with the local board of education, the charter school has the right to appeal to the board of commissioners of the jurisdiction in which the building or land is located. The board will have the final decision-making authority on the leasing of the available building or land (previously, provided that at the request of the charter school, a local board of education in the LEA where the charter school will be located must lease any available land or building to the charter school for $1 per year unless the board demonstrates that such a lease is not economically or practically feasible.  Also provided that if the local board leases the facility to a charter school for $1.00 per year, the charter school is responsible for maintenance and insurance for the school facility).

Senate amendment #5 makes the following changes to the 3rd edition.

Amends GS 115C-238.29F(e), Employees, deleting the proposed provisions in subsection (6) and providing that if the local board of education where the charter school is located adopts policies requiring criminal history checks under GS 115C-332, then the board of directors of each charter school in that LEA must adopt a policy mirroring the local board of education's requirement of criminal history checks. Directs each charter school board of directors to apply its mirroring policy uniformly to applicants for employment. Allows conditional employment while checking a person's criminal history and making a decision based on the check.