§ 115C-150.12A.  Board of trustees for schools for the deaf and blind.

(a) Membership. - Each school shall be governed by a separate board of trustees.

(1) There shall be five voting members for each board of trustees to be appointed as follows:

a. Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

b. Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

c. One member appointed by the State Board of Education.

(2) Each board of trustees shall have two additional nonvoting members as follows:

a. The president or the president's designee of the alumni association for each school shall serve ex officio on the board of trustees for that school.

b. For the schools for the deaf, one member for each board of trustees appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services following consultation with the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

c. For the school for the blind, a member appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services following consultation with the Division of Services for the Blind.

(b) Qualifications. - Appointing entities are strongly encouraged to fill the appointments to each board of trustees with persons with expertise or experience in the areas of education for those who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or visually impaired, administration and governance, finance and budgeting, or who otherwise have demonstrated concern for quality of education for those who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or visually impaired.

(c) Terms of Members. - Members shall be appointed for four-year terms. Terms shall commence July 1. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. All vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority for the vacating member for the remainder of the unexpired term. Vacancies of members appointed by the General Assembly shall be filled as provided in G.S. 120-122.

(d) Declarations of Vacancies. - Whenever an appointed member of a board of trustees shall fail to be present at three successive regular meetings of the board, for any reason other than ill health or service in the interest of the State or nation, his or her place as a member of the board shall be deemed vacant.

(e) Chair; Vice-Chair. - A board of trustees shall elect one of its members as chair and one of its members as vice-chair, each for a two-year term, at the first meeting occurring after July 1 in odd-numbered years.

(f) Meetings. - A board of trustees shall meet at least four times a year and also at such other times as it may deem necessary. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All meetings shall be subject to Article 33C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. The members shall receive per diem compensation and necessary travel and subsistence expenses while engaged in the discharge of their official duties, in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-5.

(g) Procedures. - A board of trustees shall determine its own rules of procedure and may delegate to committees that it creates any powers it deems appropriate.

(h) Code of Ethics. - A board of trustees shall adopt a resolution or policy containing a code of ethics, as required by G.S. 160A-86.

(i) Training. - All members of a board of trustees shall receive a minimum of 12 clock hours of training every two years. The 12 clock hours of training may be earned at any time during the two-year period and may include the ethics education required by G.S. 138A-14. The training shall include, but not be limited to, public school law, including special education law, school finance, and duties and responsibilities of the board. The training may be provided by the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or other qualified sources at the choice of the board of trustees.

(j) Cooperation with Other Boards. - Each board of trustees may collaborate with other boards of trustees of schools for the deaf or schools for the blind or with local boards of education in development of rules, curriculum, or other matters. Each local board of trustees may also enter memorandums of understanding or joint contracts with any other board of trustees of a school for the deaf or school for the blind or with local boards of education to engage in joint undertakings or purchases.  (2023-10, s. 1; 2024-1, s. 2.8E(a).)