Stop Chronically Low-Performing Charters.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 371

Short Title: Stop Chronically Low-Performing Charters. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chitlik and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 24, 2025
*S371-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE CH ARTER REVOCATION FOR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE B EEN 2
LOW-PERFORMING FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS, TO RESTRICT CHART ER 3
SCHOOLS FROM EXPANDI NG IF THEY ARE LOW -PERFORMING, TO LIMIT 4
CHARTERS FOR REMOTE ACADEMIES TO THREE Y EARS, AND TO REQUIRE 5
CHARTER SCHOOLS TO L IST THE SCHOOL'S PER FORMANCE GRADE ON 6
ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS. 7
Whereas, one in eight North Carolina Schools are chronically low-performing; and 8
Whereas, approximately 14,400 students are stuck in chronically low -performing 9
charter schools; and 10
Whereas, low-performing charters are a threat to the reputation of all charter schools; 11
and 12
Whereas, chronically low -performing schools trap students in an environment that 13
has shown itself incapable of meeting their academic needs; Now, therefore, 14
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 15
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-218.7(b) is repealed. 16
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-218.8(2) is repealed. 17
SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-218.45 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 18
"(j) A charter school shall include on its application for enrollment the school's 19
performance grade, as determined by the State Board of Education, for the previous five years." 20
SECTION 4. G.S. 115C-218.94 reads as rewritten: 21
"§ 115C-218.94. Identification of low-performing and continually low-performing charter 22
schools. 23
(a) Identification of Low -Performing Charter Schools. – The State Board of Education 24
shall identify low -performing charter schools on an annual basis. Low -performing charter 25
schools are those that earn an overall s chool performance grade of D or F and a school growth 26
score of "met expected growth" or "not met expected growth" as defined by G.S. 115C-83.15. 27
(a1) Low-Performing Enrollment. – A charter school that is identified as low-performing 28
is not authorized to expand enrollment, even if enrollment expansion was planned in the school's 29
charter, until the school is no longer identified as low-performing. 30
(b) Identification of Continually Low-Performing Charter Schools. – The State Board of 31
Education shall identify continually low -performing charter schools on an annual basis. A 32
continually low-performing charter school is a charter school that has been designated by the 33
State Board as low-performing for at least two of three consecutive years. 34
(b1) Continually Low-Performing Charter. – If a charter school is identified as continually 35
low-performing for four consecutive years, the school 's charter shall be revoked. If a charter 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 371-First Edition
school has been identified as continually low -performing for the three c onsecutive years 1
immediately preceding the expiration of the school 's charter, the Review Board may authorize 2
the school to operate under its existing charter for one additional year. If the school is no longer 3
low-performing in the additional year granted under the existing charter, the Review Board may 4
renew the school's charter." 5
SECTION 5. G.S. 115C-218.95(b1) reads as rewritten: 6
"(b1) If a charter school is continually low -performing, the Review Board is authorized to 7
terminate, not renew, or seek applicants to assume the charter through a competitive bid process 8
established by the State Board. However, the Review Board shall not terminate or not renew the 9
charter of a continually low-performing charter school solely for its continually low-performing 10
status if the charter school has met growth in each of the immediately preceding three school 11
years or if the charter school has implemented a strategic improvement plan approved by the 12
Review Board and is making measurable progress toward student performance goals. The State 13
Board shall develop rules on the assumption of a charter by a new entity that includes all aspects 14
of the operations of the charter school, including the status of the employees. Public assets shall 15
transfer to the new entity and shall not revert to the local school administrative unit in which the 16
charter school is located pursuant to G.S. 115C-218.100(b)." 17
SECTION 6. G.S. 115C-218.123(b) reads as rewritten: 18
"(b) The Review Board shall review and approve a charter or charter modification for the 19
creation of a remote charter academy that meets the requirements established in this Part for a 20
term of five three years. The Review Board shall approve a minimum of two statewide remote 21
charter academies that meet the qualifications o f this Part for operation beginning with the 22
2026-2027 school year and thereafter." 23
SECTION 7. G.S. 115C-218.124(c) reads as rewritten: 24
"(c) A nonprofit may apply for renewal of the remote charter academy for additional terms 25
of five three years. The Review Board shall consider compliance with the requirements of this 26
Part and success of the remote charter academy in the prior five three years in determining 27
whether to approve a request for renewal of a remote charter academy." 28
SECTION 8. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 29
the 2025-2026 school year. 30