Includes whereas clauses.
Requires the State Board of Education (State Board) to establish a School Calendar Flexibility Pilot Program (Program) to determine the impact of school calendar flexibility for opening and closing dates on student achievement and summer internships and to identify and quantify the communities that can support local school calendar control and those that cannot.
Authorizes all local school administrative units in the 22 specified counties to participate in the Program, but provides that any local board of education of a local school administrative unit authorized to participate in the Program may elect not to participate; sets out the process for authorizing replacement local school administrative units.
Requires each participating local school administrative unit to participate for three school years, beginning in either the 2019‑20 school year or the 2020‑21 school year. Requires the State Board to give the Department of Commerce a list of the participating local school administrative units by February 1, 2020.
Provides that local boards of education of participating local school administrative units will determine, for the duration of the Program, the dates of opening and closing the public schools; and that except for year‑round schools, the opening date for students will be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 10 and the closing date for students shall be no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to, for the duration of the Program, contact each participating local school administrative unit annually to determine: (1) the actual dates for opening and closing the public schools, (2) the impact of the Program on student achievement and summer internships, and (3) any other information DPI deems necessary for purposes of the study. Requires DPI to give the Department of Commerce the actual dates for opening and closing the public schools in each participating local school administrative unit.
Requires the Department of Commerce to study the effect of the Program on the tourist industry.
Requires the State Board and Department of Commerce, by November 15 of each year following the operation of the Program, to separately report to the UNC School of Government (SOG) on the effects of the Program. Specifies items that must be included in the report. Also requires the State Board to recommend any local school administrative units that should be assigned calendar flexibility on an ongoing basis. Requires the Department of Commerce to report on any economic impact of the Program on the tourism industry in the State. Requires the SOG to evaluate this information and provide an aggregated report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15 of the same year.
Bill Summaries: H117 SCHOOL CALENDAR FLEXIBILITY PILOT PROGRAM.
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Bill H 117 (2019-2020)Summary date: Feb 19 2019 - View Summary