A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to extend study of current statutes on regional schools and clarify requirements for transportation for participating units in an approved regional school.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  S.L. 2018‑5, Sec. 7.16, reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 7.16.(a)  The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee shall study the current statutory requirements for the formation, approval, and expansion of regional schools and shall study the issue of whether a withdrawal process for participating units from a regional school should be added to the statutes governing regional schools. The Committee shall make recommendations on any statutory changes to the General Assembly.
"SECTION 7.16.(b)  No participating unit in an approved regional school currently operating in the State shall withdraw from the regional school unless the General Assembly, following the review and recommendations of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, provides a statutory process for such withdrawal. Participating units shall continue to (i) receive allotments for student seats, (ii) transfer local funds to the regional school, (iii) provide transportation substantially similar to the transportation provided to students in the 2018‑2019 school year, and (iv) comply with all other requirements of Part 10 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes for participating units.
"SECTION 7.16.(c)  This section is effective when this act becomes law."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.