§ 115C-105.34.  Economically disadvantaged public school support funds.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Curriculum. - Materials or programs related to courses offered by an economically disadvantaged public school.

(2) Economically disadvantaged public school. - A school in a local school administrative unit or a charter school with a student population that is composed of at least eighty percent (80%) of students identified by the Department of Public Instruction as economically disadvantaged students.

(3) Eligible employee. - Any full-time or part-time employee of a qualifying economically disadvantaged public school.

(4) Qualifying economically disadvantaged public school. - An economically disadvantaged public school that exceeded expected growth in the prior school year, as determined by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15(c).

(b) The Department of Public Instruction shall establish the Economically Disadvantaged Public Schools Support Program (Program) to provide funds to support the efforts of qualifying economically disadvantaged public schools to continue to exceed growth in subsequent school years. To the extent funds are provided to the Department for this purpose, the Department shall allocate these funds annually to each governing body of an economically disadvantaged public school based on the relative proportion of students in each qualifying economically disadvantaged public school governed by that body. The governing body shall allocate those funds to each qualifying economically disadvantaged public school based on the relative proportion of students in each school. The funds shall be used for curriculum, activities necessary to support students and instructional support personnel, and bonuses and retention programs for eligible employees, in the discretion of the governing body of the charter school or the school in the local school administrative unit, as appropriate.

(c) It is the intent of the General Assembly that funds provided pursuant to this section will supplement and not supplant local funds. (2023-134, s. 7.45.)