NC H968

Requires all public school units in North Carolina to provide emergency preparedness instruction from kindergarten through high school, with standards differentiated by grade level

Elementary school instruction (beginning no earlier than grade 3) must cover natural and man-made disasters, roles of students/teachers/first responders, and school emergency response plans

Middle school standards require updated disaster education, a research project on a past disaster, instruction on mass casualty event responses, and electrical hazard safety

High school instruction must include introduction to the FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Manual

Applies to local school boards, the NC School of Science and Mathematics, and takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year