A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT authorizing the establishment of nonresidential science and mathematics high schools as cooperative innovative high schools and appropriating funds for that PURPOSE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑238.51(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	The State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges shall approve two cooperative innovative high school programs in each of the State's economic development regions. The State Boards may also approve two additional programs in the State that emphasize the educational development of high school students in the areas of science and mathematics in a nonresidential setting. The State Boards may approve programs recommended by the joint advisory committee or may approve other programs that were not recommended. The State Boards shall approve all applications by March 15 of each year. No application shall be approved unless the State Boards find that the application meets the requirements set out in this Part and that granting the application would achieve the purposes set out in G.S. 115C‑238.50. Priority shall be given to applications that are most likely to further State education policies, to address the economic development needs of the economic development regions in which they are located, and to strengthen the educational programs offered in the local school administrative units in which they are located."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of three hundred sixty‑six thousand six hundred sixty‑six dollars ($366,666) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year and the sum of two hundred sixty‑six thousand six hundred sixty‑six dollars ($266,666) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to provide start‑up funds for the two cooperative innovative high school science and mathematics programs authorized under G.S. 115C‑238.51(d), as rewritten by Section 1 of this act.  The State Board of Education shall allocate a maximum of one hundred eighty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($183,333) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year and the sum of one hundred thirty‑three thousand three hundred thirty-three dollars ($133,333) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to each program that it approves.
SECTION 3.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2005.  The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.