GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 806
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Short Title: Public School Operational Relief. |
(Public) |
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Sponsors: |
Representatives Willis, Biggs, Cotham, and Rhyne (Primary Sponsors). For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site. |
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Referred to: |
Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House |
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April 8, 2025
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to remove class size requirements and to require fifty percent of teachers in a public school to have a license.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C‑81.5(b)(8) reads as rewritten:
"(8) Class size recommendations
and requirements.recommendations."
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C‑105.37A(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b) Assistance to
Schools That Are Low Performing for Two Years. – If a school that has received
State‑mandated assistance is designated by the State Board as low
performing for two consecutive years or for two of three consecutive years, the
State Board shall provide a series of progressive assistance and intervention
strategies to that school. These strategies shall be designed to improve
student achievement and to maintain student achievement at appropriate levels
and may include, to the extent that funds are available for this purpose,
assistance such as reductions in class size, extension of teacher and
assistant principal contracts, extension of the instructional year, and grant‑based
assistance."
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C‑276(k) reads as rewritten:
"(k) To Submit
Organization Reports and Other Information to the State Board. – Each year the
superintendent of each local school administrative unit shall submit to the
State Board of Education statistical reports, certified by the chairman of the
board of education, showing the organization of the schools in his or her unit
and any additional information the State Board may require. At the end of the
second month of school each year, local boards of education, through the
superintendent, shall report school organization, employees' duties, and class
sizes to the State Board. As of February 1 each year, local boards of
education, through the superintendent, shall report all exceptions to
individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade that occur
at that time."
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 115C‑301(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f) Biannual Reports. – At the end of October and end of February of each school year, each local board of education, through the superintendent, shall file a report, based on information provided by the principal, for each school within the local school administrative unit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The report shall be filed in a format prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and shall include the organization for each school in the local school administrative unit, including the following information:
(1) For each class in each grade level at each school, the following:
a. The duties of the teacher.
b. The source of funds used to pay for the teacher.
c. The number of students
assigned to the class, including all exceptions to individual class size
maximums in kindergarten through third grade that exist at that time.class.
(2) For each school, the following:
a. The number of program enhancement teachers.
b. The source of funds used to pay each program enhancement teacher.
(3) The average class size for each grade from kindergarten through third grade in the local school administrative unit.
(4) Any other information the Superintendent of Public Instruction may require.
The Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall conduct periodic audits of the information reported by the
local superintendent under this subsection to confirm the accuracy of reporting
at the local school administrative unit and school level of the average and
individual class size for students in kindergarten through third grade. If the
Superintendent of Public Instruction finds that a local board of education is
exceeding class size requirements without application to the State Board for an
allotment adjustment or a waiver of those class size requirements, the State
Board may impose the penalty set forth in subsection (j) of this section until
such time the local board of education receives a waiver or the schools in the
unit meet the class size requirements for kindergarten through third grade.unit."
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C‑295 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑295. Minimum age and license prerequisites.
(a) All teachers employed
in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public funds, shall
be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a license in compliance with
the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State
Board of Education: Provided, that nothing herein shall prevent the employment
of temporary personnel under such rules as the State Board of Education may
prescribe: Provided further, that no No person shall be employed to
teach who is under 18 years of age.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any board of education
to employ or keep in service any teacher who neither holds nor is qualified to
hold a license in compliance with the provision of the law or in accordance
with the regulations of the State Board of Education.
(c) This section shall not prohibit the employment of individuals exempted from licensure under G.S. 115C‑270.21."
SECTION 2.(b) Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑295.4. Required teacher license quota.
(a) A local board of education may employ and contract with necessary teachers to perform the particular service for which they are employed in the school, except for those teachers employed pursuant to G.S. 115C‑325. At least fifty percent (50%) of the teachers in a school shall hold teacher licenses. All teachers who are teaching in the core subject areas of mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts shall be college graduates.
(b) All teachers hired by a local board of education who are not licensed as a teacher by the State shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior to beginning instruction:
(1) The identification and education of children with disabilities.
(2) Positive management of student behavior.
(3) Effective communication for defusing and de‑escalating disruptive or dangerous behavior.
(4) Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint."
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2025‑2026 school year.