GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

S	1 

SENATE BILL 918

Short Title:  Emergency School Closings.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senators Allran, Davis, East, Dannelly, and Winner.

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Referred to:  Education/Higher Education

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May 1, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PERMIT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO AUTHORIZE THE EMERGENCY CLOSING OF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-84(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	There shall be operated in every school in the State a uniform school term of 180 days for instructing pupils.  The school calendar for each local school administrative unit shall include days that can be used to make up any of the 180 days of the school term on which school is closed due to hazardous weather conditions, natural disaster, or other emergency; the required number of such days for a local school administrative unit shall be the greater of (i) five days or (ii) the average number of days missed in five of the last six school years in which the least number of days were missed.  If a local school administrative unit has made up at least the required number of such days and if the local school board finds that it is impracticable to make up additional days, the local school board may excuse students from attendance for three such days; on the days excused for students, the local board may require teachers to report for a workday or it may excuse teachers from attendance on such days.  The days excused for teachers under this paragraph do not have to be made up by teachers and do not affect teachers' pay.  Local boards of education shall report all days excused for students, whether the days were excused for teachers, and the reason they were excused to the State Board of Education.  This report shall include total days missed and the reason therefor, by date, and the total number of days made up, as justification for the local board's action in the matter.
After the required number of days have been made up within the school calendar and after the local board has exercised its authority to suspend days as set forth in the preceding paragraph, the State Board of Education, at the request of the local board of education, may suspend school additional days in any local school administrative unit where it finds that conditions justify such suspension of school.  The State Board of Education may also, at the request of the local board of education, suspend one or more days from the 180 day school term for an individual school, regardless of how many days have been made up within the school calendar for the school unit as a whole, if emergency conditions exist at that school that might be threatening to the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff. The days excused under this paragraph do not have to be made up by teachers or students and the first 15 such days do not affect teachers' pay.
During any period of emergency, in any section of the State where the said emergency conditions make it necessary, the State Board of Education may order general, and if necessary, extended recesses or adjournment of the public schools."
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.