Senate committee substitute to the 3rd edition makes the following changes. 

Part I.

Inserts new provision amending GS 115C-218.5(a) if House Bill 618 of the 2023 Regular Session (entitled An Act to Convert the Charter Schools Advisory Board into the Charter Schools Review Board, to Shift the Authority to Approve Charters from the State Board to the Review Board, and to Create a Right of Appeal to the State Board of Education from Review Board Decisions) does not become law, as follows. Prohibits the State Board of Education (Board) (was Charter School Review Board) from considering any alleged impact on the local school administrative unit or units in the area served by a charter school when deciding whether to grant, renew, amend, or terminate a charter. 

Clarifies that the change to GS 115C-218.5(a) replacing the Board with the Charter School Review Board (Review Board) as the entity examining charter school applications only take effect if House Bill 618 becomes law.

Makes organizational changes to account for new section.

Part II.

Inserts new provision also amending GS 115C-218.7 (pertaining to material revisions of charters) to reflect the language in the statute if House Bill 618 does not become law. Specifies that the change to GS 115C-218.7 replacing the Board with the Review Board only takes effect if House Bill 618 becomes law.

Makes organizational changes to account for new section.

Part VII.

Deletes entirety of the third edition’s Part VII concerning charter school funding comparability and Part VIII concerning the classification of charter and nonpublic schools for interscholastic athletics. Replaces it with the following.

Authorizes the charter school Central Park School for Children in Durham County (Central Park School) to establish a pilot program to expand the school's weighted lottery admission procedures for a period of up to four years. Specifies that the pilot program must preserve existing weighting factors but may add additional weighting factors that serve the goal of assisting educationally or economically disadvantaged students, including walk zones. Specifies that an admissions lottery pilot program is not considered a material change of the Central Park School’s charter. Requires the Central Park School to submit an annual report for each year in which the pilot program is being designed or conducted to the Office of Charter Schools by June 15 that contains the following information: (1) a description of the pilot weighted lottery procedures, including the weighted factors considered and how those factors further the goals of the weighted lottery system; (2) how the pilot differed from the existing procedure; and (3) the number of students admitted under the pilot program that would not have otherwise been admitted. Applies to weighted lotteries conducted for the admissions process for the 2024-25 school year.