A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Provide COntinued recognition of the Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy and the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy as cooperative innovative high schools, to require the state board of EDUCATION to approve the substitution of a new partner institution of higher education for those schools, and to appropriate funds for tuition payments for cooperative innovative high schools.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i. Continued Status as a Cooperative Innovative High School and substitution of Higher education partner
SECTION 1.(a)  For the purposes of this section, the Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy and the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy are referred to collectively as Academies and are referred to individually as Academy.
SECTION 1.(b)  Notwithstanding the requirements of Part 9 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes for an institution of higher education partner and the written agreements entered into as provided in G.S. 115C‑238.53(b) (written agreement), the following shall apply to the Academies for the 2024‑2025 and 2025‑2026 school years:
(1)	The Academies shall continue to be recognized as cooperative innovative high schools.
(2)	The Academies shall continue to receive funds as provided in G.S. 115C‑238.51A(c).
(3)	The Academies shall continue operation as provided in G.S. 115C‑238.53.
(4)	The Academies shall continue to provide opportunities for eligible students to earn postsecondary credit while enrolled in high school.
SECTION 1.(c)  Notwithstanding the requirements of G.S. 115C‑238.51A, the following shall occur:
(1)	The State Board of Education shall approve one or both applications to substitute the partner institution of higher education from the 2023‑2024 school year in the written agreements for one or both of the Academies with a new partner institution of higher education no later than the 2025‑2026 school year if the following occur:
a.	The Wake County Board of Education and the applicable governing board of the local board of trustees of the partner institution of higher education submit applications for substitution to the State Board of Education for one or both of the Academies. The applications shall comply with procedural requirements established by the State Board of Education for the submission of such applications.
b.	The State Board of Education determines that the partner institution of higher education complies with the requirements for a partner institution of higher education under Part 9 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.
(2)	If the applications for the substitution of a partner institution of higher education in the written agreement for one or both of the Academies is approved by the State Board of Education in accordance with subdivision (1) of this subsection, beginning with the first fiscal year for which the approval is granted, the following shall apply:
a.	That Academy shall continue to receive the recurring State funds appropriated for that school as provided in G.S. 115C‑238.51A(c).
b.	Subsection (b) of this section shall cease to apply for that Academy.

part ii. appropriation for tuition payments for cooperative innovative high schools
SECTION 2.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one hundred eleven thousand four hundred eighty‑four dollars ($111,484) in recurring funds for the 2024‑2025 fiscal year to address a shortfall in funds for tuition payments needed for cooperative innovative high schools in the State.
SECTION 2.(b)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2024.

part iii. effective date
SECTION 3.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.