Education

HB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.

HB 346 directs the State Board of Community Colleges to adjust how full-time equivalent (FTE) students are calculated for Central Carolina Community College's Harnett and Chatham main campuses. Specifically, it requires combining the FTE from each main campus with the FTE from its respective Health Sciences Center. This adjustment is made to help these campuses maintain their multicampus center status.

House Bill 4, also known as "Sam's Law," aims to improve seizure preparedness and response in North Carolina schools. The bill requires public school units, charter schools, and other educational institutions to develop individualized Seizure Action Plans for students diagnosed with seizure disorders, in collaboration with their parents. It mandates annual seizure education programs for all K-12 school personnel and requires principals, school counselors, and teachers to complete an annual self-study on seizure disorders. Furthermore, the bill ensures at least one employee in each school is trained to administer seizure medication and requires the posting of seizure first aid information in visible areas. Various educational boards are tasked with adopting policies to implement these requirements, with $50,000 appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for development costs.

HB 637 grants flexibility to Pitt County Schools regarding salary supplements for advanced teaching roles. It allows the $10,000 supplement for an adult leadership teacher to be shared with other teachers. This sharing is permitted when those teachers are collaborating in a "community of practice" to address an instructional issue within schools participating in the R3 Program Community of Practice model. This bill applies exclusively to Pitt County Schools and becomes effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

HB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.

HB 58 modifies local election rules across North Carolina. It extends Kittrell's mayor and commissioners' terms from two to four years, changes Asheboro's school board to seven partisan-elected members (down from 11) with four-year staggered terms, and eliminates a mandatory school funding floor for Scotland County. The bill also establishes residency districts for Anson County commissioners, clarifies vacancy procedures for Caswell County, and allows Scotland County to set school budgets without state-mandated funding minimums. These changes directly affect local governments and school boards in multiple counties, altering election structures and budget authority.