GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-249

SENATE BILL 400

AN ACT TO GIVE PRIORITY ACCESS TO CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH STUDENTS SUCH AS THE BOY SCOUTS AND GIRL SCOUTS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑206 reads as rewritten:

"§ 115C‑206.  State Board of Education; duties; responsibilities.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall prepare and present to the State Board of Education recommendations for general guidelines for encouraging increased community involvement in the public schools and use of public school facilities. These recommendations shall include, but shall not be limited to provisions for:

(1)        The use of public school facilities by governmental, charitable or civic organizations for activities within the community.

(2)        The utilization of the talents and abilities of volunteers within the community for the enhancement of public school programs including tutoring, counseling and cultural programs and projects.

(3)        Increased communications between the staff and faculty of the public schools, other community institutions and agencies, and citizens in the community.

(4) Local boards of education are to be directed to give priority in the use of school facilities to any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.

Based on the recommendations of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate policies and guidelines for encouraging increased community involvement in the public schools and use of the public school facilities."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑207 reads as rewritten:

"§ 115C‑207.  Authority and responsibility of local boards of education.

Every local board of education that uses State funds to implement programs under this Article shall:

(1)        Develop programs and plans for increased community involvement in the public schools based upon policies and guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education.

(1a)      Develop policies and programs designed to encourage the use of community‑based academic booster organizations, which may be known as Community Achievement Network – Developing Our Educational Resources (CAN DOER) organizations, to provide tutoring and other appropriate services to encourage and support student academic achievement.

(1b)      Develop policies and/or procedures for approving the use of volunteer organizations and for approving the use of individual volunteers.

(1c)      Develop policies and/or procedures designed to make information available to parents and students about what tutoring and other academic support services are available to students in the community or through school volunteers or other community organizations.

(2)        Develop programs and plans for increased community use of public school facilities based upon policies and guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education

(3)        Establish rules governing the implementation of such programs and plans in its public schools and submit these rules along with adopted programs and plans to the State Board of Education for approval by the State Board of Education.

(4) Give priority in the use of school facilities to any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education. If the local board of education denies priority access to a patriotic society listed in Title 36 of the United States Code, the local board shall provide reasons for the denial in writing to the requesting entity.

Programs and plans developed by a local board of education may provide for the establishment of one or more community schools advisory councils for the public schools under the board's jurisdiction and for the employment of one or more community schools coordinators. The local board of education shall establish the terms and conditions of employment for the community schools coordinators.

Every local board of education using State funds to implement a community schools program under this Article may enter into agreements with other local boards of education, agencies and institutions for the joint development of plans and programs and the joint expenditure of these State funds."

SECTION 3.  G.S. 115C‑218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(d) Access for Youth Groups. – Charter schools are encouraged to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education."

SECTION 4.  G.S. 115C‑238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"(13) Access for youth groups. – Regional schools are encouraged to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education."

SECTION 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17^th day of September, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 11:00 a.m. this 25^th day of September, 2015