§ 115C-285.1.  Principal recruitment supplement.

(a) Definitions. - The following definitions shall apply in this section:

(1) Eligible employer. - The governing board of a local school administrative unit with an eligible school.

(2) Eligible school. - A low-performing school, as defined in G.S. 115C-105.37, that received an overall school performance score that placed it in the bottom five percent (5%) of all schools in the State in the prior school year.

(3) Qualifying principal. - A principal who is paid on the Exceeded Growth column of the Principal Salary Schedule.

(4) Qualifying school. - An eligible school selected by the Department to participate in the Program.

(b) Program; Purpose. - The Department of Public Instruction shall establish the Principal Recruitment Supplement Program (Program). To the extent funds are made available, the purpose of the Program shall be to provide significant, time-limited salary supplements to qualifying principals who accept employment as principals of qualifying schools.

(c) Salary Supplement. - A qualifying principal who accepts a position as a principal in a qualifying school shall receive an annual salary supplement of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), paid on a monthly basis, as long as the principal is employed as the principal of that school, up to a maximum period of 36 months, subject to the following:

(1) A qualifying principal who contracts with an eligible employer to receive the salary supplement shall not be excluded in future years from contracting with the same eligible employer or a different eligible employer for another salary supplement, subject to the requirements of this section.

(2) A qualifying principal who accepts employment as a principal at a qualifying school shall continue to receive the salary supplement during performance of the contract, up to 36 months, even if one or more of the following occur:

a. The principal is no longer a qualifying principal.

b. The school is no longer an eligible school.

(3) Notwithstanding G.S. 135-1(7a), salary supplements provided pursuant to this section are not compensation under Article 1 of Chapter 135 of the General Statutes, the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System.

(d) Time Line. - To the extent funds are made available for the Program, the following time line shall apply:

(1) No later than December 1, 2019, and October 1 of each year thereafter, the Department shall notify an eligible employer with one or more eligible schools that the eligible employer may be selected to participate in the Program.

(2) No later than January 15, 2020, and November 1 of each year thereafter, each eligible employer that seeks to participate in the Program shall notify the Department of its intent.

(3) No later than January 31, 2020, and November 15 of each year thereafter, the Department shall notify any eligible employer with a qualifying school that the school qualifies for the Program, up to a statewide total of 40 schools. In making its selections, the Department shall prioritize eligible schools with the lowest overall school performance scores.

(4) No later than May 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, each eligible employer with a qualifying school shall do all of the following:

a. Execute all applicable contracts with qualifying principals.

b. Notify the Department of the (i) identity of principals and schools in the unit that will participate in the Program, (ii) length of the contract period between the eligible employer and each qualifying principal, and (iii) length of time the qualifying principal will receive the salary supplement.

(5) No later than August 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, all qualifying principals identified pursuant to sub-subdivision (4)b. of this subsection shall begin employment as a principal at the applicable qualifying school.

(e) Additional Funds. - In the event an eligible employer is unable to award funds for the salary supplement because of resignation, dismissal, reduction in force, death, retirement, or failure to execute a contract with a qualifying principal, the Department shall award the funds, as soon as is practicable, to another eligible employer identified in subdivision (a)(1) of this section.

(f) Supplement Not Supplant. - Salary supplements provided to qualifying principals pursuant to this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant State and non-State funds already provided for principal compensation.

(g) Report. - No later than March 15, 2021, and every year thereafter in which funds are expended under the Program, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division on the Program, including, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) The impact of the Program on school performance, including the performance of (i) schools receiving a principal under the Program and (ii) schools that lost a principal due to the Program.

(2) The number of principals participating in the Program.

(3) The identity of schools participating in the Program.

(4) The length and rate of retention of principals (i) within the Program and (ii) at specific schools within the Program. (2019-247, s. 2.5; 2020-3, s. 2.13(b).)