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Bill Summary · HB 104

HB 104 — School Calendar Flexibility / Buncombe County (Open Calendar)

Status: Withdrawn from committee
Introduced: August 15, 2025
Subject areas: Education; Local boards of education; School calendar; Buncombe County

Main purpose

To give Buncombe County Schools an explicit exemption from the statewide statutory opening and closing date constraints so the local board can adopt a more flexible school-year calendar beginning with the 2025–2026 school year.

Key provisions

  • Amends G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) (Opening and Closing Dates) to exempt Buncombe County Schools from the statutory start/close date limitations that apply statewide to traditional (non‑year‑round) schools.
    • Current statewide rule (retained in the statute for other districts): student opening date no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26; closing date no later than the Friday closest to June 11. The State Board may waive the opening date to no earlier than the Monday closest to August 19 for “good cause.”
    • HB 104 removes the application of those required opening/closing dates for Buncombe County Schools, allowing the local board to set calendars outside those constraints.
  • Existing statutory provisions remain in place for:
    • The State Board’s waiver authority (for other districts) and the “good cause” definition (historic closures because of severe weather, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergencies).
    • Schools already operating under modified calendars (statutory exception for schools designated as modified calendar in 2003–04).
  • Geographic scope: the act applies only to Buncombe County Schools.
  • Effective date and implementation: becomes effective when enacted and applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Buncombe County Board of Education, district administrators, students, families, and school staff in Buncombe County.
  • Secondary: vendors and partners affected by schedule changes (transportation providers, child care programs, athletic scheduling bodies, regional testing calendars).
  • State agencies: the State Board of Education retains its statutory authorities for other districts but will not be required to enforce the standard opening/closing date limits for Buncombe County.

Potential impacts

  • Local control: gives Buncombe County flexibility to adjust start and end dates to better accommodate local needs (e.g., make‑up days, concentrated instructional schedules, local events, or operational considerations).
  • Operational effects: may affect transportation, extracurricular scheduling, coordination with neighboring districts, student assessments, and childcare planning. Specific fiscal effects are not specified in the bill; impacts are likely localized and depend on calendar choices made by the local board.
  • Equity/coordination: diverging calendars can complicate regional coordination (sports, shared services, cross‑district programs), but can provide benefits for county‑specific needs (weather patterns, staffing, facility use).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The text amends G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) and explicitly limits the change to Buncombe County.
  • The act is to take effect upon becoming law and apply beginning in the 2025–2026 school year.
  • Current status (per provided record): Withdrawn from committee after introduction (status may change if refiled or taken up again).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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