A long list of education adjustments proposed for dealing with the COVID-19 crisis was discussed by the House COVID-19 working group on education. This week, the committee unanimously recommended the proposed bill for consideration by the NCGA. The General Assembly reconvenes Tuesday, April 28 at noon. See their calendar here.
Highlights of the bill include:
- Allows remote instruction to satisfy the statutory instructional time requirement.
- Waives attendance enforcement requirements during the school closure period.
- States the intent of the General Assembly to provide for supplementary summer instruction in August 2020.
- Allows public school units to begin the school year as early as August 17, 2020.
- Provides increased flexibility for local boards of education to transfer the unexpended cash balance in an allotment category to another allotment category with certain limitations for the remainder of the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
- Provides increased flexibility for local boards of education to transfer funds from one allotment category to another allotment category with certain limitations for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
- Delays the kindergarten through third grade class size reduction for one school year and makes a corresponding reduction in the funding for program enhancement teacher positions for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
- Waives requirements in the 2019-2020 school year for nonpublic schools to administer and maintain records of standardized tests.
- Allows principals to make third grade promotion decisions in the same manner as for other grades.
Read the complete bill and bill summary below.
Links to Related Documents and Presentations.
HOUSE BILL DRH10740-MVz-175A Omnibus Bill
Agency Budget Requests Related to COVID-19
Joint Presentation to House Select Committee on COVID-19 Subcommittee on Education-Projected School Expenditures
NC SBE- DPI Estimates of COVID-19 Emergency Funding Requests