GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1993 SESSION

CHAPTER 716
SENATE BILL 854

AN ACT TO PERMIT THE ISSUANCE AND PURCHASING OF GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 58-51-81.  Group accident and health insurance for public school students.
(a)	Notwithstanding G.S. 58-51-80, a policy of group accident, health, or accident and health insurance may be delivered or issued to a local board of education or to any of its schools, as policyholder, covering only students for amounts of insurance based upon some plan that will preclude individual selection.  The premium may be paid by the board, jointly by the board and the students or any other persons on behalf of the students, or by the students and any other persons on behalf of the students.  In addition to the authority granted in G.S. 115C-47(6), any board may establish fees for the payment of premiums by or on behalf of the covered students.
(b)	Entities subject to Articles 65 and 67 of this Chapter may provide their products in the same manner described in subsection (a) of this section."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 115C-47 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-47.  Powers and duties generally.
In addition to the powers and duties designated in G.S. 115C-36, local boards of education shall have the power or duty:
(1)	To Provide an Adequate School System. – It shall be the duty of local boards of education to provide adequate school systems within their respective local school administrative units, as directed by law.
(2)	To Exercise Certain Judicial Functions and to Participate in Certain Suits and Actions. – Local boards of education shall have the power and authority to exercise certain judicial functions pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-45 and to participate in certain suits and actions pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-44.
(3)	To Divide Local School Administrative Units into Attendance Areas. – Local boards of education shall have authority to divide their various units into attendance areas without regard to district lines.
(4)	To Regulate Extracurricular Activities. – Local boards of education shall make all rules and regulations necessary for the conducting of extracurricular activities in the schools under their supervision, including a program of athletics, where desired, without assuming liability therefor; provided, that all interscholastic athletic activities shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Education.
(5)	To Fix Time of Opening and Closing Schools. – The time of opening and closing the public schools shall be fixed pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-84(e).
(6)	To Regulate Fees, Charges and Solicitations. – Local boards of education shall adopt rules and regulations governing solicitations of, sales to, and fund-raising activities conducted by, the students and faculty members in schools under their jurisdiction, and no fees, charges, or costs shall be collected from students and school personnel without approval of the board of education as recorded in the minutes of said board; provided, this subdivision shall not apply to such textbooks fees as are determined and established by the State Board of Education. All schedules of fees, charges and solicitations approved by local boards of education shall be reported to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(7)	To Accept and Administer Federal or Private Funds. – Local boards of education shall have power and authority to accept, receive and administer any funds or financial assistance given, granted or provided under the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-10, 89th Congress, HR 2362) and under the provisions of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-452, 88th Congress, S. 2642), or other federal acts or funds from foundations or private sources, and to comply with all conditions and requirements necessary for the receipt, acceptance and use of said funds. In the administration of such funds, local boards of education shall have authority to enter into contracts with and to cooperate with and to carry out projects with nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, community groups and nonprofit corporations, and to enter into joint agreements for these purposes with other local boards of education. Local boards of education shall furnish such information as shall be requested by the State Board of Education, from time to time, relating to any programs related or conducted pursuant to this subdivision.
(8)	To Sponsor or Conduct Educational Research. – Local boards of education are authorized to sponsor or conduct educational research and special projects approved by the Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education that may improve the school system under their jurisdictions. Such research or projects may be conducted during the summer months and the board may use any available funds for such purposes.
(9)	To Assure Accurate Attendance Records. – When the governing board of any local school administrative unit shall have information that inaccurate school attendance records are being kept, the board concerned shall immediately investigate such inaccuracies and take necessary action to establish and maintain correct records and report its findings and action to the State Board of Education.
(10)	To Assure Appropriate Class Size. – It shall be the responsibility of local boards of education to assure that the class size and teaching load requirements set forth in G.S. 115C-301 are met. Any teacher who believes that the requirements of G.S. 115C-301 have not been met shall make a report to the principal and superintendent, and the superintendent shall immediately determine whether the requirements have in fact not been met. If the superintendent determines the requirements have not been met, he shall make a report to the next local board of education meeting. The local board of education shall take action to meet the requirements of the statute. If the local board cannot organizationally correct the exception and if any of the conditions set out in G.S. 115C-301(g)(1) exist, it shall immediately apply to the State Board of Education for additional personnel or a waiver of the class size requirements, as provided in G.S. 115C-301(g).
		Upon notification from the State Board of Education that the reported exception does not qualify for an allotment adjustment or a waiver under provisions of G.S. 115C-301, the local board, within 30 days, shall take action necessary to correct the exception.
		At the end of the second month of each school year, the local board of education, through the superintendent, shall file a report with the State Board of Education, in a format prescribed by the State Board of Education, describing the organization of each school, the duties of each teacher, the size of each class, and the teaching load of each teacher. As of February 1 each year, local boards of education, through the superintendent, shall report all exceptions to individual class size and daily teaching load maximums that exist at that time.
		In addition to assuring that the requirements of G.S. 115C-301 are met, each local board of education shall also have the duty to provide an adequate number of classrooms to meet the requirements of that statute.
(11)	To Determine the Length of the School Day, the School Month and the School Term. – Local boards of education shall determine the length of the school day, the school month and the school term pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-84(a) through (c).
(12)	(For effective date see notes) To Implement the Basic Education Program. – Local boards of education shall implement the Basic Education Program in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board. This implementation shall include provision for the efficient teaching of the course content required by the standard course of study.
(12)	(For effective date see notes) To Implement the Basic Education Program. – Local boards of education shall implement the Basic Education Program in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board. This implementation shall include provision for the efficient teaching of the course content required by the Basic Education Program.
(13)	To Elect a Superintendent. – The local boards of education shall elect superintendents subject to the requirements and limitations set forth in G.S. 115C-271.
(14)	To Supply an Office, Equipment and Clerical Assistance for the Superintendent. – It shall be the duty of the various boards of education to provide the superintendent of schools with an office, equipment and clerical assistance as provided in G.S. 115C-277.
(15)	To Prescribe Duties of Superintendent. – The local boards of education shall prescribe the duties of the superintendent as subject to the provisions of G.S. 115C-276(a).
(16)	To Remove a Superintendent, When Necessary. – Local boards of education shall remove a superintendent for cause, pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-274(a).
(17)	To Employ Assistant Superintendent and Supervisors. – Local boards of education have the authority to employ assistant superintendents and supervisors pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-278 and 115C-284(g).
(18)	To Make Rules Concerning the Conduct and Duties of Personnel. – Local boards of education, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, shall have full power to make all just and needful rules and regulations governing the conduct of teachers, principals, and supervisors, the kind of reports they shall make, and their duties in the care of school property.
		Prior to the beginning of each school year, each local board of education shall identify all reports, including local school required reports, that are required at the local level for the school year. No additional reports shall be required at the local level after the beginning of the school year without the prior approval of the local board of education.
(19)	To Approve the Assignment of Duties to an Assistant Principal. – Local boards of education shall permit certain duties of the principal to be assigned to an assistant or acting principal pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-289.
(20)	To Provide for Training of Teachers. – Local boards of education are authorized to provide for the training of teachers as provided in G.S. 115C-300.
(21)	It is the duty of every local board of education to provide for the prompt monthly payment of all salaries due teachers and other school officials and employees, and of all current bills and other necessary operating expenses. All salaries and bills shall be paid as provided by law for disbursing State and local funds.
		The local board shall determine salary schedules of employees pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-273, 115C-285(b), 115C-302(c), and 115C-316(b).
		The authority for boards of education to issue salary vouchers to all school employees, whether paid from State or local funds, shall be a monthly payroll prepared on forms approved by the State Board of Education and containing all information required by the State Board of Education. This monthly payroll shall be signed by the principal of each school.
(22)	To Provide School Food Services. – Local boards of education shall provide, to the extent practicable, school food services as provided in Part 2 of Article 17 of this Chapter.
(23)	To Purchase Equipment and Supplies. – They shall contract for equipment and supplies pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-522(a).
(24)	Purchase of Activity Buses with Local Capital Outlay Tax Funds. – Local boards of education are authorized to purchase activity buses with local capital outlay tax funds, and are authorized to maintain these buses in the county school bus garage. Reimbursement to the State Public School Fund shall be made for all maintenance cost including labor, gasoline and oil, repair parts, tires and tubes, antifreeze, etc. Labor cost reimbursements and local funds may be used to employ additional mechanics so as to insure that all activity buses owned and operated by local boards of education are maintained in a safe mechanical condition. The State Board of Education shall inspect each activity bus and recommend to the board whether the bus should be replaced but replacements will be determined by the local board of education. Such replacement units for activity buses shall be financed with local funds.
(25)	To Secure Liability Insurance. – Local boards of education are authorized to secure liability insurance, as provided in G.S. 115C-42, so as to waive their immunity for liability for certain negligent acts of their employees.
(26)	If a local board of education provides access to its buildings and campus and the student information directory to persons or groups which make students aware of occupational or educational options, the local board of education shall provide access on the same basis to official recruiting representatives of the military forces of the State and of the United States for the purpose of informing students of educational and career opportunities available in the military.
(27)	Repealed by Session Laws 1987, c. 571, s. 2.
(28)	To Enter Lease Purchase Contracts for Automobiles. – Local boards may purchase automobiles by installment contracts that create in the property purchased a security interest to secure payment of the purchase money. A contract entered into under this subdivision is subject to the provisions of Article 8 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes, except for G.S. 159-148(a)(4) and (b)(2). The lease purchase contract shall provide that there be no recourse for default in payments under the contract other than return of the automobile. The taxing power of any tax levying authority is not and may not be pledged directly or indirectly to secure any moneys due the seller.
(29)	To Authorize the Observance of a Moment of Silence. – Local boards of education may adopt policies to authorize the observance of a moment of silence at the commencement of the first class of each day in all grades in the public schools. Such a policy shall provide that the teacher in charge of the room in which each class is held may announce that a period of silence not to exceed one minute in duration shall be observed and that during that period silence shall be maintained and no one may engage in any other activities. Such period of silence shall be totally and completely unstructured and free of guidance or influence of any kind from any sources.
(30)	To Appoint Advisory Councils. – Local boards of education are authorized to appoint advisory councils as provided in G.S. 115C-55.
(31)	Local boards of education shall determine the hours of employment for teacher assistants. The Legislative Commission of Salary Schedules for Public School Employees shall include in its report to the General Assembly recommendations regarding hours of employment for teacher assistants and other employees.
(32)	To Refer All Students Who Drop Out of the Public Schools to Appropriate Services. – Local boards of education shall refer all students who drop out of the public schools to appropriate services. When appropriate public school services such as extended day programs are available, the local boards shall refer the students to those services. When appropriate public school programs are not available or are not suitable for certain students, the local board shall refer the students to the community college system or to other appropriate services.
(33)	Local boards of education shall have sole authority to select and procure supplementary instructional materials, whether or not the materials contain commercial advertising, pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 115C-98(b).
(34)	To Encourage the Business Community to Facilitate Student Achievement. – Local boards of education, in consultation with local business leaders, shall develop voluntary guidelines relating to after-school employment.  The guidelines may include an agreement to limit the number of hours a student may work or to tie the number of hours a student may work to his academic performance, school attendance, and economic need.  The General Assembly finds that local boards of education do not currently have information regarding how many of their students are employed after school and how many hours they work; the General Assembly urges local boards of education to compile this critical information so that the State can determine to what extent these students' work affects their school performance.
		Local boards of education shall work with local business leaders to encourage employers to provide parents or guardians with time to attend conferences with their children's teachers.
		The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall provide guidance and technical assistance to the local boards of education on carrying out the provisions of this subdivision.
(35)	To produce school building improvement reports. – Each administrative unit shall produce school building improvement reports for each school building in the local school administrative unit, in accordance with G.S. 115C-12(9)c3.
(36)	To purchase group accident and health insurance for students. – Local boards of education may purchase group accident, group health, or group accident and health insurance for students in accordance with G.S. 58-51-81."
Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 7th day of July, 1994.

─────────────────── 
Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate

─────────────────── 
Daniel Blue, Jr.
Speaker of the House of Representatives