Identical to H 556, filled 3/27/25.

Amends GS 115C-218 in the following ways: (1) requires the State Board of Education (State Board) to have all rules or policies (was, rules only) regarding charter schools first approved and recommended by the Charter Schools Review Board (Review Board) (was, recommended only); (2) amends the powers and duties of the Review Board to include proposing, recommending, and approving rules and policies (was, to make recommendations to the State Board on the adoption of rules) regarding all aspects of charter school operations and adds any processes to the list of operations this includes; (3) empowers the Review Board to review any decisions or conduct hearings pursuant to 20 USC § 1231b-2 concerning charter school funds and to hire legal counsel, including private counsel, without a need to obtain permission or approval; and (4) mandates that the Executive Director of the NC Office of Charter Schools report to and serve at the pleasure of the Review Board (was, Superintendent of Public Instruction) at a salary established by the Review Board (was, Superintendent of Public Instruction).

Amends GS 115C-218.15(c) to require charter schools’ written charter terms be approved by the Review Board.

Amends GS 115C-218.85 by adding a new subsection eliminating any requirement for charter schools to list class rank on a student’s official transcript or record.

Amends GS 115C-218.90(a) by adding a new subdivision allowing a charter school to develop and use any evaluation to use for teacher evaluations as long as it includes standards and criteria similar to the NC Professional Teaching Standards and NC Teacher Evaluation Process, or another evaluation standard and process required to be used by local schools.

Amends GS 115C-218.94 by adding a new subsection mandating that the Review Board require low-performing and continually low-performing charter schools to prepare and report on performance improvement plans. Specifies that GS 115C-105.27, pertaining to development and approval of school improvement plans, does not apply to charter schools.

Amends GS 115C-218.105(a2) permitting (was, required) the State Board to withhold or reduce fund distributions to a charter school under the circumstances described. Replaces Superintendent of Public Instruction with Review Board in subsections (a2), (c2), and (c3) concerning creation of the standardized enrollment verification and transfer request document, procedures for transferring the per pupil share to charter schools, and providing notification of fiscal mismanagement.

Amends GS 115C-218.123 by adding a new subsection that allows a charter school enrolling or intending to enroll at least 250 students in a remote academy as allowed in the charter to request the Review Board grant the remote academy portion of the school a separate charter if they submit all information listed in subsection (a). Requires any such request to be reviewed through an expedited process established by the Review Board and prohibits the Review Board from requiring a planning year for remote academies granted a charter under this section.

Amends GS 115C-218.125 by making technical changes and adding a new subsection. Requires schools with charters that include in-person instruction and a remote academy to receive a separate school performance grade for the remote academy. Requires the remote academy to be treated as a separate school for performance assessments purposes.

Applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.