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

Deletes previous changes to GS 115C-84.2(d), which provides parameters for local boards of education to apply in determining the opening and closing dates for public schools.

Current law requires each local board of education to have 215 calendar days in its school calendar with a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction covering a period of at least nine calendar months. Amends GS 115C-84.2(a)(1) to make the minimum instruction period in a calendar year consist of 1,025 hours, deleting the 185 days requirement. Provides that local boards may approve school improvement plans that include a varying number of instructional hours in instructional days occurring in different semesters of the school year, and that they may vary the number of days per instructional semester if the hours of instruction remain equivalent between semesters. Also provides that if a school board adopts a school calendar with less than 185 days of instruction that teachers, who are 10-month employees, are deemed to have been employed the equivalent of 185 days of instruction and compensated as if they had worked those days. Provides that annual leave, sick leave, workdays, holidays, salary, and longevity for teachers employed at schools with instructional calendars less than 185 days must be equivalent to those of other teachers employed for the same number of months.

Amends GS 115C-174.12(4) to authorize a local board of education that has implemented a school calendar that ends the fall semester before December 31 to administer fall exams prior to the conclusion of the semester.

Directs the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee (Committee) to study local school administrative units that havesuccessfullyused calendar flexibility under GS 115C-84.2 to have semester exams prior to December 31. Requires the Committee to report its findings and recommendations to the 2016 Regular Session of the 2015 General Assembly.