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Bill Summary · HB 138

HB 138 — School Calendar Flexibility / Gates County / Community College (Summary)

Status: Passed 1st Reading (filed Feb. 17–18, 2025); applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year.
Statutory change: amends G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) (North Carolina public school opening/closing dates).
Scope: Applies only to Gates County Schools.

Purpose / Intent

To give Gates County Schools the explicit, permanent authority to align the county K–12 school calendar with the calendar of the community college that serves the county (College of the Albemarle). The change is intended to facilitate coordination between the local K–12 system and the community college for programs such as dual enrollment, career/technical education, shared transportation, and scheduling.

Key provisions

  • Adds a clear exception to the statutory opening/closing date rules (G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) permitting a local board to align its calendar with the calendar of a community college that serves the city or county where the local school administrative unit is located.
  • Retains existing general limits for non‑year‑round schools:
    • Opening date: no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 (with limited State Board waiver to the Monday closest to August 19 on showing of good cause).
    • Closing date: no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
    • Local boards remain able to revise closing dates to meet the minimum instructional days/time requirement.
  • Makes the community‑college alignment exception explicitly available for Gates County only.
  • Effective immediately upon enactment for application beginning in the 2025–2026 school year.

Who is affected

  • Directly: Gates County Board of Education, Gates County K–12 students, parents, teachers and school staff.
  • Indirectly: College of the Albemarle (scheduling/dual‑enrollment coordination), county transportation and nutrition services, regional athletic and inter‑district scheduling partners, and families with members in both K–12 and community college programs.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Likely benefits:
    • Better synchronization for dual enrollment, career‑technical programs and shared resources.
    • Easier student transitions between K–12 and community college schedules; potential cost and logistics savings (transportation, staffing).
  • Administrative/operational considerations:
    • Gates County must still meet state minimum instructional day/time requirements and comply with testing schedules and other statutory obligations.
    • Alignment may affect athletic calendars, interdistrict events, substitute/leave planning, and contract language for staff; those impacts would be local matters to resolve.
  • Fiscal impact: not specified in the bill text; expected to be largely operational/local and administrative rather than requiring direct state funding.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The statutory amendment is limited to Gates County (local, not statewide).
  • Applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year following enactment.
  • Local board retains discretion whether to adopt an aligned calendar; the bill creates the option but does not mandate the change.

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

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