NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1000

HOUSE BILL 260

 

 

AN ACT TO INCORPORATE AND ESTABLISH THE CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.

 

Whereas, it has been established and recognized by educators specializing in the education of the deaf throughout the United States that small ungraded programs for the deaf are educationally unsound, and that extremely large programs lose the individual attention necessary for the deaf child; and

Whereas, it is recognized that frequent home visits by the deaf students keep the student in contact with the family, and permit him to be an integral part of the family which is desirable, especially during his early years; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina has a school for the deaf at Wilson, North Carolina, and at Morganton, North Carolina, serving the Eastern District and the Western District, but the distance for many students does not permit frequent home visits, and permits few students to be day students; and

Whereas, the department of the Governor Morehead School serving the Negro deaf students closed in 1970, and Negro students were assigned to the Wilson and Morganton Schools, and the population of these two schools reached their maximum capacity during 1970, with a substantial waiting list, and additional capital improvements are required; and

Whereas, the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Schools for the Deaf recommended at its Annual Fall Board Meeting, November 19, 1967, and again January 23, 1970, that a new Central Elementary School for the Deaf be requested of the 1971 General Assembly; and

Whereas, the Board of Directors being aware that added capital improvements would be necessary at Wilson and Morganton to accommodate the projected enrollment, it was the Board's opinion that it was educationally more desirable to request a new school located near the population concentration than to add to the present schools at the elementary level; and

Whereas, it was projected by having three regional elementary programs for deaf children, the present ones being at Morganton and Wilson, and the third one to be located near the Triad Area of Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem; that most students could spend weekends at home and that many students attending the Central School could be day students; and

Whereas, a substantial portion of the per capita cost of educating deaf children is the result of custodial care, the Board projected that regional schools would be more economical since custodial care could be reduced by having more students go home on weekends, and many attending the Central School as day pupils; and

Whereas, the State has made substantial investment in a high school program for deaf students at Morganton, the Board recommends that the State of North Carolina continue to support one comprehensive high school program at Morganton, with a wide variety of academic and vocational courses to meet the need of the high school students; and

Whereas, the projected enrollment of high school age deaf students will not reach 400 in the next eight years, it is the opinion of the Board that one high school will meet the need for at least eight years; and

Whereas, it has been projected by Mr. R. M. McAdams, Superintendent of the Eastern North Carolina School at Wilson, and Mr. Ben E. Hoffmeyer, Superintendent of the North Carolina School for the Deaf at Morganton, that the student population will be over 1200 by 1972; and

Whereas, present facilities, plus facilities now under construction, will accommodate 1035 students, the enrollment has filled all facilities; therefore, new facilities will be needed and a school to house 240 students is recommended for the central part of the State; and

Whereas, in order to provide the physical plant, and site acquisition for an enrollment of 240 deaf students from preschool age through grade eight, it is recommended by the Board of Directors that four million, nine hundred and fifteen thousand dollars ($4,915,000) be appropriated for this school; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  That Article 41 of Chapter 115 of the General Statutes is hereby rewritten to read as follows:

"Article 41

"Central North Carolina School for the Deaf

"§ 115-336.  Incorporation and location. There is hereby established, and there shall be maintained, a school for the deaf of this State which shall be a corporation under the corporate name of the Central North Carolina School for the Deaf. The Board of Directors of the North Carolina Schools for the Deaf shall be the governing body of the Central North Carolina School for the Deaf. The location of all physical plants, as well as the location of the Central North Carolina School for the Deaf, shall be established and selected by the Board of Directors subject to the approval of the Governor of North Carolina.

"§ 115-337.  Directors; terms; vacancies. — The North Carolina School for the Deaf at Morganton, North Carolina, Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf at Wilson, North Carolina, and the Central North Carolina School for the Deaf shall be under the control and management of a Board of Directors consisting of 11 members known as the Board of Directors of North Carolina Schools for the Deaf. The said Board of Directors shall be constituted and composed as follows: The Governor of North Carolina, upon expiration of the existing terms of the 11 member Board of Directors, shall appoint 11 members or directors for terms of four years each from and after the date of their appointment, and these 11 members shall constitute the Board of Directors of North Carolina Schools for the Deaf. All directors appointed as herein provided shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified. The Governor of North Carolina shall fill all vacancies in office of said directors arising because of death, resignation, or any reason whatsoever. The Governor shall have the power to remove any member of the Board of Directors whenever, in his opinion, it is to the best interest of the State to remove such person; and the Governor shall not be required to give any reason for such removal.

"§ 115-338.  Organization of board; other officials. — The Board of Directors shall organize by appointing one of its number President and three as an executive committee, who shall hold office for two years; they shall elect a superintendent for each school whose terms of office shall be three years; and such officers, teachers, and agents as shall be deemed necessary.

"§ 115-339.  Superintendent. — The Superintendents shall be teachers with accredited training as teachers of the deaf, possessing knowledge, skill, and ability in their profession; and experience in the management and instruction of the deaf. They shall possess good executive ability, high moral character, and shall be the chief executive officers of the schools for the deaf. They shall devote their whole time to the supervision of the institution, and shall see that the pupils are properly instructed in the branches of learning and industrial pursuits, as provided for in this Article and under the supervision of the Board. The Board elects all teachers and subordinate officers by and with the consent and recommendation of the superintendents.

"§ 115-340.  Pupils admitted; education. — The Board of Directors shall according to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, on application, receive into the school for the purposes of education all deaf children resident of the State not of confirmed immoral character, not imbecile or unsound in mind or incapacitated by physical infirmity for useful instruction, who are between the ages of six and 21 years; Provided, that the Board of Directors may admit students under the age of six years when in its judgment, such admission will be for the best interest of the applicant and the facilities of the school permit such admission. Only those who are bona fide citizens and/or residents of North Carolina shall be eligible to and entitled to receive free tuition and maintenance. The Board of Directors may fix charges and prescribe rules whereby nonresident deaf children may be admitted, but in no event shall the admission of nonresidents in any way prevent the attendance of any eligible deaf child, resident of North Carolina. The Board shall provide for the instruction of all pupils in the branches of study now prescribed by law for the public schools of the State and in such other branches as may be of special benefit to the deaf.

"The Board of Directors shall encourage the State to provide the classrooms with modern auditory training equipment, audio visual media equipment, and any other special equipment to provide the best educational conditions for the deaf. The Board of Directors shall provide a teacher training program in the State. The Board of Directors shall provide for a comprehensive vocational and technical training program for boys and girls as may be useful to them in making themselves self-supporting.

"§ 115-341.  Free textbooks and State purchase and rental system. — The Central North Carolina School for the Deaf shall have the right and privilege of participating in the distribution of free textbooks and in the purchase and rental system operated by the State of North Carolina in the same manner as any other public school in the State.

"§ 115-342.  Powers of Board. — The Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to make such bylaws, rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the laws of the State, as may be necessary for the proper management of said Central North Carolina School for the Deaf and its officers, agents and employees; and shall conduct the said school in such way, as far as practicable, as to make it self-sustaining. The Board of Directors is further authorized to make such arrangements with the board of directors of any State hospital, the governing authority of any municipality, or of any county, as may be mutually agreed upon, to promote convenience and economy for joint water supply, lighted areas, use of sewage facilities, or any other utilities or facilities that may be necessary and as may be agreed upon."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 20th day of July, 1971.