SAVE SPRING BREAK ACT.

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View NCGA Bill Details2021
Senate Bill 242 (Local) Filed Thursday, March 11, 2021
AN ACT TO ALLOW CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS TO USE REMOTE LEARNING IN RESPONSE TO SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN ORDER TO AVOID ADDING IN-PERSON MAKE-UP DAYS TO THE SCHOOL CALENDAR ONCE ALL PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED MAKE-UP DAYS ARE USED.
Intro. by Marcus.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action) (Mar 15 2021)

Bill History:

S 242

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Mar 11 2021 - View Summary

    Titles the act as the "Save Spring Break Act." Defines the scope of the act to include Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools only. 

    Amends GS 115C-84.2, which allows school days and instructional hours to count towards the required minimum when school is closed early due to inclement weather, to the extent allowed by State Board of Education (State Board) policy. Expands this authority to include schools closing early for other emergency scenarios. Requires school calendars to include a plan for making up days and instructional hours when schools are not opened due to other emergency scenarios, as well as inclement weather. Adds a new provision to permit the plan to include remote instruction for one or more schools to meet the required number of instructional days and hours, subject to four requirements as follows. Requires that the school(s) be closed for in-person instruction due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations. Requires that at least five scheduled in-person instructional make-up days or the equivalent number of banked hours to have already been used prior to using remote instruction. Requires that scheduling additional in-person instructional make-up days would require the school(s) to replace days previously scheduled as holidays or to revise the scheduled closing date. Lastly, requires that the State Board has approved the local school administrative unit's remote instruction plan under GS 115C-84.3, as enacted.

    Enacts GS 115C-84.3 authorizing each local board of education to develop an annual remote instruction plan. Requires submission of a plan annually to the State Board for approval by July 1. Includes 13 required considerations of each plan, including training for teachers and staff on the effective use of the remote instruction resources used by the unit and the process for student submission of completed work, surveying student and teacher home connectivity, and tracking and reporting attendance on remote instruction days. Directs the State Board to review and approve or deny each plan based on whether each required component has been adequately addressed in the State Board's discretion. Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to notify each unit of the State Board's approval or denial by August 1. Allows for submission of amended plans which were initially denied to DPI by August 15, with DPI required to notify the unit of the amended plan's approval or denial by September 1. Allows the State Board to approve a plan that complies with the requirements at a later date for good cause.

    Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.