Senate Bill 295 - Standards of Student Conduct

• Replaces "local board of education" terminology with "public school unit board" throughout student discipline statutes to standardize governance language.

• Prohibits mandatory long-term suspensions or expulsions for minor violations such as inappropriate language, dress code violations, and minor physical altercations without weapons or injury; principals retain discretion to escalate based on aggravating circumstances.

• Restricts long-term suspension and expulsion of students to only serious violations that threaten safety or substantially disrupt the educational environment, while prohibiting suspension solely for truancy or tardiness offenses.

• Requires public school unit boards to review current federal guidance on school discipline practices from the U.S. Department of Education before adopting discipline policies and to submit policies to the Department of Public Instruction by September 1 annually.

• Exempts North Carolina Virtual Public School instructors from the 12-month maximum temporary appointment limit; requires the Department of Public Instruction to develop a contracting and payment plan for virtual school instructors to be implemented beginning spring 2020 semester and reported by October 15, 2019.