AN ACT to require local school administrative units and charter schools to allow part‑time enrollment of students that otherwise attend nonpublic school.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 25 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 115C‑364.1.  Admission for part‑time students.

(a)        Local school administrative units and charter schools shall allow students that attend nonpublic school to enroll part time to access any courses, programs, or services offered by the local school administrative unit or the charter school, so long as the student is eligible for admission to public school under G.S. 115C‑5 and G.S. 115C‑364.

(b)        For each student enrolled in public school part time pursuant to this section, the State Board of Education shall allocate to the enrolling local school administrative unit or charter school the following amounts:

(1)        For students scheduled for instructional time equaling one‑third or more of the amount of instructional time used to determine full‑time equivalency under G.S. 115C‑419, one hundred percent (100%) of the average per pupil allocation for average daily membership for the local school administrative unit in which the school is located.

(2)        For students scheduled for instructional time equaling less than one‑third of the amount of instructional time used to determine full‑time equivalency under G.S. 115C‑419, fifty percent (50%) of the average per pupil allocation for average daily membership for the local school administrative unit in which the school is located.

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(70)    To Allow Part‑Time Students. – Local boards of education shall develop a policy for students that attend nonpublic school to enroll part time in a public school under the board's jurisdiction in accordance with G.S. 115C‑364.1. The board shall make the policy available on the board's website.

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 115C‑218.45 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

(a1)    Any student that attends nonpublic school is qualified to enroll in a charter school part time in accordance with G.S. 115C‑364.1. A charter school shall make information regarding part‑time enrollment available on the school's website. Students enrolled in a charter school part time shall not count toward the enrollment growth of the charter school under G.S. 115C‑218.7.

SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be allocated to local boards of education and charter schools for the administrative costs of implementing the provisions of this act.

SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of two hundred seventy million dollars ($270,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be allocated to local school administrative units and charter schools to fund part‑time students.

SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to requests to begin part‑time enrollment in the 2025‑2026 school year.