House Bill 878 Summary

• Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf and North Carolina School for the Deaf shall be governed by separate boards of trustees consisting of five voting members (two appointed by Speaker of House, two by President Pro Tempore of Senate, one by Governor) instead of the State Board of Education.

• Each residential school board of trustees shall appoint a director to manage school personnel, day-to-day operations, and operating budget, with boards having powers and duties equivalent to local boards of education.

• Residential schools are classified as local school administrative units for purposes of federal and state law, and each shall adopt its own rules for admissions, staff employment, and operations without requiring Chapter 150B rulemaking approval.

• Initial board members shall take office July 1, 2022, with staggered terms (two members appointed to two-year terms, two to four-year terms, and one to six-year term), with all subsequent appointments for six-year terms.

• Department of Public Instruction shall retain rental proceeds from residential school campuses beginning in fiscal year 2022-2023 and allocate receipts to each school's board of trustees to supplement staffing and operations.