GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1983 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 656

SENATE BILL 603

 

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A SINGLE LEGAL AGE FOR INITIAL ENTRY INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN NORTH CAROLINA.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 115C-364 is amended by rewriting the same to read as follows:

"A child, to be entitled to initial entry in the public schools, must have passed the fifth anniversary of his/her birth on or before October 16 of the year in which the child is presented for enrollment, and must be presented for enrollment during the first month of the school year. The initial point of entry into the public school system shall be at the kindergarten level; provided, that if a particular child has already been attending school in another state in accordance with the laws or regulations of the school authorities of such state before moving to and becoming a resident of North Carolina, such child will be eligible for enrollment in the schools of this State regardless of whether such child has passed the fifth anniversary of his birth before October 16. If the principal of a school finds as fact subsequent to initial entry that a child, by reason of maturity can be more appropriately served in the first grade rather than in kindergarten, the principal may act under the provisions of G.S. 115C-288 to implement this educational decision without regard to chronological age. The principal of any public school shall have the authority to require the parents of any child presented for admission for the first time to such school to furnish a certified copy of the birth certificate of such child, which shall be furnished by the register of deeds of the county having on file the record of the birth of such child, or other satisfactory evidence of date of birth."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 115C-81(f)(2) is amended by deleting the figure "15" following the word "October" and inserting figure "16" in lieu thereof.

Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1983.