Public School Operational Relief.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 806

Short Title: Public School Operational Relief. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Willis, Biggs, Cotham, and Rhyne (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 8, 2025
*H806-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REMOVE CLA SS SIZE REQUIREMENTS AND TO REQUIRE FIFT Y 2
PERCENT OF TEACHERS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO HAVE A LICENSE. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47(10), 115C -105.26(b)(1), 115C -234.5(e), 5
115C-301(c), 115C-301(c1), 115C-301(g), and 115C-310.7(a) are repealed. 6
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-81.5(b)(8) reads as rewritten: 7
"(8) Class size recommendations and requirements.recommendations." 8
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-105.37A(b) reads as rewritten: 9
"(b) Assistance to Schools That Are Low Performing for Two Years. – If a school that has 10
received State-mandated assistance is designated by the State Board as low performing for two 11
consecutive years or for two of three consecutive years, the State Board shall provide a series of 12
progressive assistance and intervention strategies to that school. These strategies shall be 13
designed to improve student achievement and to maintain student achievement at appropriate 14
levels and may include, to the extent that funds are available for this purpose, assistance such as 15
reductions in class size, extension of teacher and assistant principal contracts, extension of the 16
instructional year, and grant-based assistance." 17
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-276(k) reads as rewritten: 18
"(k) To Submit Organization Reports and Other Information to the State Board. – Each 19
year the superintendent of each local school administrative unit shall submit to the State Board 20
of Education statistical reports, certified by the chairman of the board of education, showing the 21
organization of the schools in his or her unit and any additional information the State Board may 22
require. At the end of the second month of school each year, local boards of education, through 23
the superintendent, shall report school organization, employees' duties, and class sizes to the State 24
Board. As of February 1 each year, local boards of education, through the superintendent, shall 25
report all exceptions to individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade that 26
occur at that time." 27
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 115C-301(f) reads as rewritten: 28
"(f) Biannual Reports. – At the end of October and end of February of each school year, 29
each local board of education, through the superintendent, shall file a report, based on 30
information provided by the principal, for each school within the local school administrative unit 31
with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The report shall be filed in a format prescribed by 32
the Superintendent of Public Instruction and shall include the organization for each school in the 33
local school administrative unit, including the following information: 34
(1) For each class in each grade level at each school, the following: 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 806-First Edition
a. The duties of the teacher. 1
b. The source of funds used to pay for the teacher. 2
c. The number of students assigned to the class, including all exceptions 3
to individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade 4
that exist at that time.class. 5
(2) For each school, the following: 6
a. The number of program enhancement teachers. 7
b. The source of funds used to pay each program enhancement teacher. 8
(3) The average class size for each grade from kindergarten through third grade 9
in the local school administrative unit. 10
(4) Any other information the Superintendent of Public Instruction may require. 11
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall conduct periodic audits of the information 12
reported by the local superintendent under this subsection to confirm the accuracy of reporting 13
at the local school administrative unit and school level of the average and individual class size 14
for students in kindergarten through third grade. If the Superintendent of Public Instruction finds 15
that a local board of education is exceeding class size requirements without application to the 16
State Board for an allotment adjustment or a waiver of those class size requirements, the State 17
Board may impose the penalty set forth in subsection (j) of this section until such time the local 18
board of education receives a waiver or the schools in the unit meet the class size requirements 19
for kindergarten through third grade.unit." 20
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-295 reads as rewritten: 21
"§ 115C-295. Minimum age and license prerequisites. 22
(a) All teachers employed in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public 23
funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a license in compliance with the 24
provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education: 25
Provided, that nothing herein shall prevent the employment of temporary personnel under such 26
rules as the State Board of Education may prescribe: Provided further, that no No person shall be 27
employed to teach who is under 18 years of age. 28
(b) It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any 29
teacher who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a license in compliance with the provision of 30
the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education. 31
(c) This section shall not prohibit the employment of individuals exempted from 32
licensure under G.S. 115C-270.21." 33
SECTION 2.(b) Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 34
adding a new section to read: 35
"§ 115C-295.4. Required teacher license quota. 36
(a) A local board of education may employ and contract with necessary teachers to 37
perform the particular service for which they are employed in the school, except for those 38
teachers employed pursuant to G.S. 115C-325. At least fifty percent (50%) of the teachers in a 39
school shall hold teacher licenses. All teachers who are teaching in the core subject areas of 40
mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts shall be college graduates. 41
(b) All teachers hired by a local board of education who are not licensed as a teacher by 42
the State shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator 43
preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior 44
to beginning instruction: 45
(1) The identification and education of children with disabilities. 46
(2) Positive management of student behavior. 47
(3) Effective communication for defusing and de -escalating disruptive or 48
dangerous behavior. 49
(4) Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint." 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 806-First Edition Page 3
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 1
the 2025-2026 school year. 2