H1118 - SCHOOLS Act Summary

• Allows local school boards to determine school opening and closing dates with flexibility, replacing prior restrictions requiring opening no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and closing no later than the Friday closest to June 11.

• Increases principal salaries for the 2022-2023 fiscal year using a tiered schedule based on school size and growth performance, with $140,000 appropriated for implementation.

• Creates the North Carolina Tutoring Fund administered by the Department of Public Instruction, funded by appropriations and transfers from remaining Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund reserves, allocated to school districts by average daily membership.

• Allows local school administrative units to apply for separate school codes to offer virtual instruction without zoning restrictions.

• Repeals retirement benefit restrictions imposed on state employees effective retroactively to December 31, 2020, and modifies school performance scoring to use separate achievement and growth grades (A through F) instead of combined performance scores.