§ 115C-238.54.  Funds for cooperative innovative high schools.

(a) The Department of Public Instruction shall assign a school code for each cooperative innovative high school that is approved under this Part. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-105.25, once the cooperative innovative high school has been assigned a school code, the local board of education may use these funds for the school and may transfer these funds between funding allotment categories.

(a1) Repealed by Session Laws 2011-145, s. 7.1A(j), effective January 1, 2012.

(b) The local board of trustees may allocate State and federal funds for a cooperative innovative high school that is approved under this Part.

(c) An education partner under G.S. 115C-238.52 that is a public body may allocate State, federal, and local funds for a cooperative innovative high school that is approved under this Part.

(d) If not an education partner under G.S. 115C-238.52, a county board of commissioners in a county where a cooperative innovative high school is located may nevertheless appropriate funds to the school approved under this Part.

(e) The local board of education and the local board of trustees are strongly encouraged to seek funds from sources other than State, federal, and local appropriations. They are strongly encouraged to seek funds the Education Cabinet identifies or obtains under G.S. 116C-4.

(f) Students in cooperative innovative high schools shall not be charged tuition for courses taken through the partner institution of higher education.

(g) Students in cooperative innovative high schools that have a community college as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(c) shall be included in calculations of budget full-time equivalent students for the North Carolina Community College System. Students in cooperative innovative high schools that have a community college as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(b) shall not be included in calculations of budget full-time equivalent students for the North Carolina Community College System.

(h) The State Board of Education shall reimburse The University of North Carolina for tuition for courses taken by students at cooperative innovative high schools that have a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(c). Tuition payments shall not exceed the annual Board of Governors-approved undergraduate resident tuition rate calculated on a per credit hour basis and shall not include fees. In addition, the cooperative innovative high school students' credit hours shall be nonfundable under The University of North Carolina Semester Credit Hour Enrollment Change Funding Model. The State Board of Education shall not reimburse The University of North Carolina for tuition for courses taken by students at cooperative innovative high schools that have a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(b).

(i) The State Board of Education shall reimburse private North Carolina colleges for tuition for courses taken by students at cooperative innovative high schools that have a private North Carolina college as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(c). Tuition payments shall not exceed the highest undergraduate resident rate approved by the Board of Governors for The University of North Carolina constituent institutions and shall not include fees. The State Board of Education shall not reimburse private North Carolina colleges for tuition for courses taken by students at cooperative innovative high schools that have a private North Carolina college as their partner institution of higher education and were approved under G.S. 115C-238.51A(b).

(j) Any State funds appropriated for cooperative innovative high schools shall not be adjusted to reflect legislative salary increments, retirement rate adjustments, and health benefit adjustments for school personnel, unless specifically provided for by the General Assembly. (2003-277, s. 2; 2005-276, s. 7.33(a); 2010-31, s. 7.21(b); 2011-145, s. 7.1A(j); 2012-142, s. 7.11(f); 2015-241, s. 8.8.)