House Bill 82 Summary

• Requires each local school administrative unit in North Carolina to offer a school extension learning recovery and enrichment program outside the regular school calendar following the 2020-2021 school year to address COVID-19 learning losses.

• Programs must provide at least 150 hours or 30 days of in-person instruction in core subjects (reading, math, science) plus enrichment activities, with meals and transportation provided to at-risk students identified under existing state criteria.

• Participation is voluntary for at-risk students; kindergarten students who participate are exempt from retention for 2021-2022, and other retained students may be reassessed for promotion upon program completion.

• Local school boards may hire teachers and staff as temporary contract employees for the program outside normal retirement and employment regulations, with signing bonuses of at least $1,200 for qualified educators and performance bonuses of $150 per student demonstrating reading proficiency gains.

• Local school administrative units must submit program plans to the Department of Public Instruction by 30 days before the end of the 2020-2021 school year and report assessment results and student outcomes by October 15, 2021.