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HB 277

School Calendar Flexibility/Johnston/August 10 and Assessments.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Mary Belk and 7 co-sponsors

Johnston County gains local calendar flexibility: start as early as the Monday closest to Aug 10 and may schedule fall assessments/finals before semester ends, effective 2025–26.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 277

Summary — HB 277 (School Calendar Flexibility / Johnston County)

At a glance

  • Title: School Calendar Flexibility / Johnston / August 10 and Assessments
  • Subject: Local school calendar and assessment administration rules (education)
  • Applies to: Johnston County Schools (North Carolina) only
  • Key statutes amended: G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) and G.S. 115C‑174.12(a)(4)
  • Effective: When law; applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year
  • Legislative status (from bill text): Passed 1st Reading (referred to Education – K‑12, March 2025)

Purpose / Intent

Allow Johnston County Schools additional scheduling flexibility by permitting an earlier permissible opening date for students and clarifying when local assessments and final exams may be administered for districts that conclude the fall semester before December 31.

Key provisions

  1. School opening/closing dates (amends G.S. 115C‑84.2(d)):

    • Adds calendar flexibility so that, for affected local boards, the student opening date may be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 10 (in addition to existing references to August 26).
    • Retains the rule that, except for year‑round schools, the student closing date must be no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
    • Preserves existing State Board of Education authority to waive the August 26 opening requirement for “good cause” (and to allow openings as early as the Monday closest to August 19 when needed to accommodate makeup days).
    • Local boards may revise scheduled closing dates if necessary to meet minimum instructional day/time requirements.

  2. Assessment scheduling (amends G.S. 115C‑174.12(a)(4)):

    • Confirms that annual State assessments and final exams are normally administered in the final instructional days (10 days for year‑long, 5 for semester).
    • Adds explicit permission for any local board that concludes the fall semester prior to December 31 to administer required assessments prior to the conclusion of that semester.

  3. Geographic limitation:

    • The bill applies only to Johnston County Schools.

Who is affected

  • Direct: Johnston County students, families, teachers, and local board of education (calendar planners).
  • Indirect: County athletic/activity calendars, childcare providers, transportation providers, and potentially neighboring districts if coordination is necessary for regional events.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year.
  • Because the change is local to Johnston County, other NC districts are unaffected unless future legislation expands the provision.

Potential impacts / considerations

  • Benefits: Greater local control to align instructional days, schedule makeup days more flexibly, and adapt assessment timing for an early fall-semester end.
  • Operational effects: Adjustments may be needed for transportation, childcare, extracurricular schedules, and coordination with statewide testing windows and reporting.
  • Policy tradeoffs: Earlier start dates can affect summer programs, staff contracts, and family planning; local boards must still meet statewide instructional time requirements.

Source: bill text amending G.S. 115C‑84.2(d) and G.S. 115C‑174.12(a)(4); applies solely to Johnston County; effective beginning 2025–26 school year.

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

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