Bill > H556

This bill significantly reforms charter school oversight and operations in North Carolina by expanding the authority of the Charter Schools Review Board and introducing several new provisions. The bill requires the State Board of Education to first obtain approval from the Charter Schools Review Board for any rules or policies related to charter schools, giving the Review Board more control over charter school governance. The Review Board is now authorized to hire its own legal counsel, review federal funding decisions, and directly oversee low-performing charter schools' improvement plans. The legislation also provides charter schools with additional flexibilities, such as exempting them from reporting student class rank on transcripts and allowing them to develop their own teacher evaluation processes that align with state standards. Additionally, the bill creates an expedited application process for remote charter academies with 250 or more students and mandates that remote academies receive separate performance grades from their parent charter schools. These changes aim to provide more autonomy to charter schools while establishing a more robust oversight mechanism through the Charter Schools Review Board. The provisions will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year, signaling a comprehensive redesign of charter school management in North Carolina.

Education

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H556