Bill Summaries: S541 (2017-2018 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Mar 30 2017 - View summary

    Amends GS 115C-301 to set the maximum average class size in a local school administrative unit for kindergarten through third grade to be one teacher per 21 students. Provides that at the end of the second school month and for the remainder of the school year, no individual class in kindergarten through third grade may exceed one teacher per 24 students. Beginning with the 2018-19 school year, at the end of the second school month and for the remainder of the school year, no individual class in kindergarten through third grade may exceed one teacher per 23 students. Amends the requirements for the annual report, due on the second month of the school year, by the local board of education, to require a single report based on the information from the principals of each school in the local administrative unit. Requires school boards to make an additional report, on the same information as is required in the annual February 1 report, annually on November 1. Directs the Department of Public Instruction to conduct periodic audits of the information in these reports. Authorizes the State Board of Education to impose a penalty on local boards of education that exceed class size requirements without application for an allotment adjustment or a waiver of the requirements.

    Directs local boards of education to provide teachers whose class size does not meet the requirements above after the first 60 days of the school year with a nonrecurring supplement for each month in which the class size exceeds the individual class size maximum for more than four school days, proportional to the number of students that exceed the class size limits as specified, to be paid from local funds.

    Provides that when the State Board of Education notifies a local board of education that a reported class size exception does not qualify for an allotment adjustment or a waiver, the local board of education must correct the exception within 30 days. Directs the Department of Public Instruction to request an updated class size report from the local board or education within 60 days of notification by the State Board of Education. If the local board of education continues to exceed class size requirements, the State Board may impose the penalty in this statute until class size requirements are met.

    Applies beginning with the 2017-18 school year.