AN ACT to STUDY VARIOUS education issues and make other changes to education laws.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. revise myfuturenc educational attainment goal reporting

SECTION 1.  Section 1(c) of S.L. 2019‑55 reads as rewritten:

SECTION 1.(c)  Beginning September 1, 2020, March 15, 2024, and every September 1 March 15 thereafter, the myFutureNC Commission, which is a statewide commission focusing on postsecondary educational attainment in North Carolina, shall report to the General Assembly, as provided by G.S. 120‑29.5, and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the progress of the State reaching the postsecondary attainment goal set forth in G.S. 116C‑10, as enacted by this act, and activities by the Commission to further North Carolina towards the postsecondary attainment goal.

PART II. STUDY FOR STUDENTS WITH EXTRAORDINARY COSTS/REPORT

SECTION 2.  As used in this section, Approved School means a private school with approved nonpublic education programs providing special education for students with intensive needs. The Department of Public Instruction shall study the following and report any legislative recommendations based on the outcomes of the study to the House Appropriations Committee on Education, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education/Higher Education, and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by October 15, 2023:

(1)        A method of improving options for children with disabilities with intensive needs which require private placement in an Approved School consistent with the student's individualized education program (IEP).

(2)        A method of determining that placement in an Approved School is the means that most appropriately suits the child's individual needs.

(3)        Extraordinary costs incurred by the public school unit by student placement in Approved Schools.

(4)        Methods of creating a network of Approved Schools into which a child with disabilities with intensive needs may be placed consistent with the student's IEP.

(5)        A method of prioritizing dispersal of funds to public school units to assist with the cost associated with enrolling in an Approved School in early grades to incentivize public school units to enroll students in the Approved Schools at the earliest appropriate age.

(6)        Recommendations on the proportion of a student's extraordinary cost to be paid from local, State, and federal sources, respectively, and to identify existing funds at each level that may be available for the purposes studied pursuant to this section.

(7)        A method to monitor overidentification of children with disabilities with intensive needs.

(8)        Methods to allow for Medicaid reimbursement for additional services, such as transportation, and expanding the eligible age range to receive reimbursement for services.

(9)        An estimated range of costs associated with implementing the studied methods.

(10)      The advisability of one or more pilot programs with one or more Approved Schools.

PART III. REVISE NORTH CAROLINA PRINCIPAL FELLOWS COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 3.(a)  G.S. 116‑74.41 reads as rewritten:

§ 116‑74.41.  North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission established; membership.

(a)        There is established the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission. The Commission shall exercise its powers and duties independently in its administration of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program in accordance with this Article. The Director of the Program shall staff the Commission in accordance with G.S. 116‑74.49. The State Education Assistance Authority as created in G.S. 116‑203 shall be responsible for awarding grants upon selection of the recipients by the Commission in accordance with G.S. 116‑74.46 and executing agreements for forgivable scholarship loans, cancelling through service, collecting, and otherwise enforcing the agreements under G.S. 116‑74.48.

(a1)      Repealed by Session Laws 2018‑5, s. 10A.3(a), effective July 1, 2018.

(b)        The Commission shall consist of 15 16 members appointed as follows:

(1)        One member of the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina appointed by the chair of that board, notwithstanding G.S. 116‑7(b).

(2)        One member of the State Board of Education appointed by the State Board chair.

(3)        One dean of a school of education appointed by the President of The University of North Carolina.

(3a)      One dean of a school of education appointed by the President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.

(4)        One public school teacher appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(5)        One public school principal appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6)        A local superintendent chosen by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(7)        One member to represent business and industry appointed by the Governor.

(8)        One local school board member appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.

(9)        One human resources expert from the private sector appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(10)      The chair of the Board of the State Education Assistance Authority, or the chair's designee.

(11)      The director of the Program. The director shall chair the Commission.

(12)      The Executive Director of the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals' Association or his or her designee.

(13)      The President of the Personnel Administrators of North Carolina or his or her designee.

(14)      The President and Chief Executive Officer of North Carolina Business Leaders for Education (BEST NC) or his or her designee.

(15)      The President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, or his or her designee.

(c)        All appointments to the Commission shall be for four‑year terms.

(d)       Except as otherwise provided, if a vacancy occurs in the membership, the appointing authority shall appoint another person to serve for the balance of the unexpired term. In the discretion of the appointing authority, a State Board of Education member or a member of the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina may complete a term on the Commission after the member's appointment from the appointing board has expired.

(e)        Commission members shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances in accordance with G.S. 138‑5 or G.S. 138‑6, as appropriate.

(f)        The initial meeting of the Commission shall be called by the member of the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina appointed under subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section and the director shall be appointed by the Commission at the initial meeting. Thereafter, the Commission shall meet regularly, at times and places deemed necessary by the chair.

SECTION 3.(b)  The new member of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission, created in accordance with G.S. 116‑74.41(b)(15), as enacted by this section, shall begin his or her term on July 1, 2023.

part v. raise the daily deposit limit for public schools

SECTION 5.  G.S. 115C‑445 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑445.  Daily deposits.

Except as otherwise provided by law, all moneys collected or received by an officer, employee or agent of a local school administrative unit or an individual school shall be deposited in accordance with this section. Each officer, employee and agent of a local school administrative unit or individual school whose duty it is to collect or receive any taxes or other moneys shall deposit his collections and receipts daily. If the board of education gives its approval, deposits shall be required only when the moneys on hand amount to as much as two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), but in any event a deposit shall be made on the last business day of the month. All deposits shall be made with the finance officer or in an official depository. Deposits in an official depository shall be immediately reported to the finance officer or individual school treasurer by means of a duplicate deposit ticket. The finance officer may at any time audit the accounts of any officer, employee or agent collecting or receiving any taxes or other moneys, and may prescribe the form and detail of these accounts. The accounts of such an officer, employee or agent shall be audited at least annually.

PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.