Designate Specialist Jacob A. Ashton Memorial Bridge

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Nickie Antonio and 47 co-sponsors

Allows Alamance-Burlington Schools to start up to a week earlier than the statewide date if “good cause” is shown, via a State Board waiver.

Signed By The Governor

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Purpose / Intent

HB 27 grants a targeted, limited calendar flexibility to Alamance-Burlington Schools by allowing an earlier student start date than the statewide default in certain circumstances. The intent is to permit the local board to set an earlier opening date (to better accommodate anticipated makeup days) when “good cause” is shown to the State Board of Education.

Key provisions

Amends G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) (opening/closing date provisions for public schools).

Standard statewide rule retained for non‑year‑round schools:

Opening date: no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26.
Closing date: no later than the Friday closest to June 11.

Waiver authority for opening date (local, limited exception):

The State Board of Education may waive the August‑26‑based opening date and permit a local board to open as early as the Monday closest to August 19 — but only “on a showing of good cause.”
“Good cause” is defined for this purpose as: schools in any local school administrative unit in a county having been closed eight days per year during any four of the last 10 years because of severe weather, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations.

Local closing dates may be revised if needed to ensure the district meets minimum required instructional days/time.

Existing exceptions preserved: the statutory opening/closing date rules still do not apply to schools already operating on modified calendars designated in 2003–2004.

Geographic scope: the act applies only to Alamance‑Burlington Schools (Alamance County).

Who is affected

Primary: Alamance‑Burlington Schools (local board, students, families, teachers, and staff).

Secondary: Local employers/childcare providers and regional extracurricular/sports schedules that coordinate with school calendar timing.

State Board of Education: retains authority to grant the waiver upon a showing of good cause.

Practical impact

Allows the local board to start school up to one week earlier than the usual statewide earliest date if closures history justifies it — useful to create additional buffer for anticipated makeup days (e.g., weather closures).

May change family summer plans, childcare needs, staff contract scheduling, athletic and extracurricular calendars if adopted.

Preserves statewide minimum instructional time requirements; local boards must adjust closing dates if necessary to comply.

Timing / procedural details

Applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year (effective upon becoming law).

The change is local to Alamance‑Burlington Schools; it does not alter the statewide default opening/closing dates for other districts except through the State Board’s general waiver authority as already provided in statute.

If you’d like, I can:
- Pull the exact amended statutory text (G.S. 115C‑84.2(d)) into a side‑by‑side before/after comparison, or
- Draft a short advisory memo for the Alamance‑Burlington board describing steps needed to request the waiver from the State Board of Education.

Bill