To read DPI’s FAQ sheet on calendar & compensation issues related to Hurricane Florence, click here.
To view a map of NC districts closed or releasing early today, click here.
General Assembly’s 3rd Extra Session – October 2
In a bi-partisan fashion, the General Assembly and Governor Cooper enacted two Hurricane Florence related bills into law:
- SB 2 – School Calendar & Pay/Hurricane Florence
- HB 4 – Hurricane Florence Emergency Response Act
- Public schools located in 28 counties designated as federally declared disaster areas (For the list of counties, click here) may:
(1) make up any number of instructional days or equivalent hours missed
(2) waive up to 20 instructional days or equivalent hours missed
(3) implement any combination of (1) & (2)
- Public schools not located in federally declared disaster areas must make up two days or the equivalent number of hours missed unless their scheduled calendar will already meet 185 instructional days or 1025 instructional hours. An LEA that missed more than two days of school may:
(1) make up any number of instructional days or equivalent hours missed
(2) waive any number of instructional days or equivalent hours missed
- The General Assembly appropriated $6.5 million from the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund “to supplement or replace lost compensation of school lunch employees due to school closures.
The General Assembly will reconvene Monday, October 15 to continue working on the recovery from Hurricane Florence.
State Board of Education (SBE) Meeting – October 3
The SBE heard a presentation on FAST NC (Florence Aid to Students and Teachers) from former State Superintendents Ward and Atkinson. Donations to FAST NC will help North Carolina’s public-school students and educators impacted by Hurricane Florence. The North Carolina School Boards Association is one of 31 Partner Organizations in this effort.
Donations to FAST NC may be made online through the existing NC Education Fund at www.ncpublicschools.org/fastnc/
Donations may also be made by checks made payable to the NC Education Fund and sent to:
NC Education Fund
State Board of Education
6336 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
Needs-Based Public-School Capital Fund
Superintendent Johnson announced the 2018 recipients of the Needs-Based Public-School Capital Fund grants for new construction.(see press release here) A total of $140.5 million went to ten Tier 1 counties and two Tier 2 counties. The amount awarded exceeds the $117.3 million appropriation for these lottery grants due to the transfer of $24 million from the Lottery Reserve fund balance.
House Select Committee on School Safety – 2 public hearings in September
Shelby meeting- DPI presented new information on the School Safety Grants Program:
- School Resource Officers – DPI received 131 applications requesting $19.7 million. The Department awarded $12 million to 124 applicants to fund 360 SROs.
- School Mental Health Support Personnel – DPI received 140 applications requesting $18.2 million. The Department awarded $10 million to fund 44 counselors, 80 social workers, 18 school nurses, and 15 school psychologists.
- School Safety Equipment – DPI received 80 applications requesting $6.14 million. The Department awarded $3 million in grants to 63 school districts.
- Training to Increase School Safety – DPI received 49 applications requesting $4.57 million. The Department awarded $3 million in 43 grants.
- Students in Crisis – DPI received 35 applications requesting $4.58 million. The Department awarded $2 million in 23 grants.
Boone meeting – Speakers included Watauga County School Board members Jay Fenwick, Jason Cornett, and Ron Henries, and Superintendent Scott Elliott. Superintendent Elliott requested additional flexibility to use funds in a way that makes sense to individual systems.