Bill Summary for S 295 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Aug 6 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 295 (Public) Filed Tuesday, March 19, 2019
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO LOCAL STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO DEVELOP A PLAN OF EMPLOYMENT FOR TEACHERS WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA VIRTUAL PUBLIC SCHOOL AND REPORT TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
Intro. by Tillman.

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Bill summary

House amendments make the following changes to the 3rd edition. 

Amendment #1 

Adds that the proposed changes to GS 115C-390.2(a), which require local boards of education to consult with teachers, school-based administrators, parents, and local law enforcement agencies in adopting, and review current federal guidance prior to adopting, their student conduct and disciplinary policies, apply to material changes to policies existing on July 1, 2020, or new policies adopted on or after July 1, 2020.

Specifies that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by October 15, 2019, on its plan for contracting and payment of instructors to be implemented for all instructors contracted beginning with the 2020 spring semester (previously, did not specify a committee).

Amendment #2

Postpones the sunset of the exemption provided for NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) instructors from the 12-month maximum limit for temporary appointments. Now sunsets the exemption on June 14, 2020, rather than December 31, 2019.

Amendment #3

Adds the following provisions. 

Amends GS 115C-390.1 to define public school unit board or board to mean the governing entity of a public school unit. Makes changes throughout the definitions provided under Article 27 (Discipline) to refer to a public school unit board or public school unit, rather than a local board of education or charter school, or a local school administrative unit, as appropriate. Makes conforming changes. Additionally, amends the definition set forth for the term principal to also include the staff member designated by the public school unit board with the highest decision-making authority at an individual school if there is no designated principal. Similarly, amends the definition set forth for the term superintendent to also include the staff member with the highest decision-making authority and that staff member's designee if there is no superintendent. 

Makes conforming changes to the proposed changes to GS 115C-390.2, making the statute's student disciplinary policy requirements applicable to public school unit boards rather than local boards of education only.

Makes changes throughout Article 27 (Discipline) to make the following statutes applicable to public school unit boards rather than local boards of education only: GS 115C-390.3 (concerning reasonable force), GS 115C-390.4 (concerning corporal punishment), GS 115C-390.6 (concerning short-term suspension procedures), GS 115C-390.8 (concerning long-term suspension procedures), GS 115C-390.9 (concerning alternative education services), GS 115C-390.10 (concerning 365-day suspension for gun possession), GS 115C-390.11 (concerning expulsion), GS 115C-390.12 (concerning requests for readmission), and GS 115C-391.1 (concerning permissible use of seclusion and restraint). 

Additionally, further amends GS 115C-390.3 to require public school unit boards to adopt policies pursuant to legislatively granted authority to provide guidelines for an employee's response if the employee has personal knowledge or actual notice of an altercation between students (previously, limited to the board's authority under specified state law). Further amends GS 115C-391.1 to refer to education preparation programs rather than institutions of teacher education concerning the statute's construction.