NC
North Carolina House Bill H806

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H806 Compare Versions

OldNewDifferences
11 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
22 SESSION 2025
3-H 1
4-HOUSE BILL 806
3+H D
4+HOUSE BILL DRH40375-NH-133
5+
56
67
78 Short Title: Public School Operational Relief. (Public)
8-Sponsors: Representatives Willis, Biggs, Cotham, and Rhyne (Primary Sponsors).
9-For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10-Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11-April 8, 2025
12-*H806 -v-1*
9+Sponsors: Representative Willis.
10+Referred to:
11+
12+*DRH40375 -NH-133*
1313 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
1414 AN ACT TO REMOVE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS AND TO REQUIRE FIFTY 2
1515 PERCENT OF TEACHERS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO HAVE A LICENSE. 3
1616 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
1717 SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47(10), 115C-105.26(b)(1), 115C-234.5(e), 5
1818 115C-301(c), 115C-301(c1), 115C-301(g), and 115C-310.7(a) are repealed. 6
1919 SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-81.5(b)(8) reads as rewritten: 7
2020 "(8) Class size recommendations and requirements.recommendations." 8
2121 SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-105.37A(b) reads as rewritten: 9
2222 "(b) Assistance to Schools That Are Low Performing for Two Years. – If a school that has 10
2323 received State-mandated assistance is designated by the State Board as low performing for two 11
2424 consecutive years or for two of three consecutive years, the State Board shall provide a series of 12
2525 progressive assistance and intervention strategies to that school. These strategies shall be 13
2626 designed to improve student achievement and to maintain student achievement at appropriate 14
2727 levels and may include, to the extent that funds are available for this purpose, assistance such as 15
2828 reductions in class size, extension of teacher and assistant principal contracts, extension of the 16
2929 instructional year, and grant-based assistance." 17
3030 SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-276(k) reads as rewritten: 18
3131 "(k) To Submit Organization Reports and Other Information to the State Board. – Each 19
3232 year the superintendent of each local school administrative unit shall submit to the State Board 20
3333 of Education statistical reports, certified by the chairman of the board of education, showing the 21
3434 organization of the schools in his or her unit and any additional information the State Board may 22
3535 require. At the end of the second month of school each year, local boards of education, through 23
3636 the superintendent, shall report school organization, employees' duties, and class sizes to the State 24
3737 Board. As of February 1 each year, local boards of education, through the superintendent, shall 25
3838 report all exceptions to individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade that 26
3939 occur at that time." 27
4040 SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 115C-301(f) reads as rewritten: 28
4141 "(f) Biannual Reports. – At the end of October and end of February of each school year, 29
4242 each local board of education, through the superintendent, shall file a report, based on 30
4343 information provided by the principal, for each school within the local school administrative unit 31
4444 with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The report shall be filed in a format prescribed by 32
4545 the Superintendent of Public Instruction and shall include the organization for each school in the 33
4646 local school administrative unit, including the following information: 34
47-(1) For each class in each grade level at each school, the following: 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48-Page 2 House Bill 806-First Edition
49-a. The duties of the teacher. 1
50-b. The source of funds used to pay for the teacher. 2
51-c. The number of students assigned to the class, including all exceptions 3
52-to individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade 4
53-that exist at that time.class. 5
54-(2) For each school, the following: 6
55-a. The number of program enhancement teachers. 7
56-b. The source of funds used to pay each program enhancement teacher. 8
57-(3) The average class size for each grade from kindergarten through third grade 9
58-in the local school administrative unit. 10
59-(4) Any other information the Superintendent of Public Instruction may require. 11
60-The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall conduct periodic audits of the information 12
61-reported by the local superintendent under this subsection to confirm the accuracy of reporting 13
62-at the local school administrative unit and school level of the average and individual class size 14
63-for students in kindergarten through third grade. If the Superintendent of Public Instruction finds 15
64-that a local board of education is exceeding class size requirements without application to the 16
65-State Board for an allotment adjustment or a waiver of those class size requirements, the State 17
66-Board may impose the penalty set forth in subsection (j) of this section until such time the local 18
67-board of education receives a waiver or the schools in the unit meet the class size requirements 19
68-for kindergarten through third grade.unit." 20
69-SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-295 reads as rewritten: 21
70-"§ 115C-295. Minimum age and license prerequisites. 22
71-(a) All teachers employed in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public 23
72-funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a license in compliance with the 24
73-provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education: 25
74-Provided, that nothing herein shall prevent the employment of temporary personnel under such 26
75-rules as the State Board of Education may prescribe: Provided further, that no No person shall be 27
76-employed to teach who is under 18 years of age. 28
77-(b) It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any 29
78-teacher who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a license in compliance with the provision of 30
79-the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education. 31
80-(c) This section shall not prohibit the employment of individuals exempted from 32
81-licensure under G.S. 115C-270.21." 33
82-SECTION 2.(b) Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 34
83-adding a new section to read: 35
84-"§ 115C-295.4. Required teacher license quota. 36
85-(a) A local board of education may employ and contract with necessary teachers to 37
86-perform the particular service for which they are employed in the school, except for those 38
87-teachers employed pursuant to G.S. 115C-325. At least fifty percent (50%) of the teachers in a 39
88-school shall hold teacher licenses. All teachers who are teaching in the core subject areas of 40
89-mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts shall be college graduates. 41
90-(b) All teachers hired by a local board of education who are not licensed as a teacher by 42
91-the State shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator 43
92-preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior 44
93-to beginning instruction: 45
94-(1) The identification and education of children with disabilities. 46
95-(2) Positive management of student behavior. 47
96-(3) Effective communication for defusing and de-escalating disruptive or 48
97-dangerous behavior. 49
98-(4) Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint." 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99-House Bill 806-First Edition Page 3
100-SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 1
101-the 2025-2026 school year. 2
47+(1) For each class in each grade level at each school, the following: 35
48+a. The duties of the teacher. 36
49+H.B. 806
50+Apr 7, 2025
51+HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
52+Page 2 DRH40375-NH-133
53+b. The source of funds used to pay for the teacher. 1
54+c. The number of students assigned to the class, including all exceptions 2
55+to individual class size maximums in kindergarten through third grade 3
56+that exist at that time.class. 4
57+(2) For each school, the following: 5
58+a. The number of program enhancement teachers. 6
59+b. The source of funds used to pay each program enhancement teacher. 7
60+(3) The average class size for each grade from kindergarten through third grade 8
61+in the local school administrative unit. 9
62+(4) Any other information the Superintendent of Public Instruction may require. 10
63+The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall conduct periodic audits of the information 11
64+reported by the local superintendent under this subsection to confirm the accuracy of reporting 12
65+at the local school administrative unit and school level of the average and individual class size 13
66+for students in kindergarten through third grade. If the Superintendent of Public Instruction finds 14
67+that a local board of education is exceeding class size requirements without application to the 15
68+State Board for an allotment adjustment or a waiver of those class size requirements, the State 16
69+Board may impose the penalty set forth in subsection (j) of this section until such time the local 17
70+board of education receives a waiver or the schools in the unit meet the class size requirements 18
71+for kindergarten through third grade.unit." 19
72+SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-295 reads as rewritten: 20
73+"§ 115C-295. Minimum age and license prerequisites. 21
74+(a) All teachers employed in the public schools of the State or in schools receiving public 22
75+funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a license in compliance with the 23
76+provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education: 24
77+Provided, that nothing herein shall prevent the employment of temporary personnel under such 25
78+rules as the State Board of Education may prescribe: Provided further, that no No person shall be 26
79+employed to teach who is under 18 years of age. 27
80+(b) It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any 28
81+teacher who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a license in compliance with the provision of 29
82+the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education. 30
83+(c) This section shall not prohibit the employment of individuals exempted from 31
84+licensure under G.S. 115C-270.21." 32
85+SECTION 2.(b) Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 33
86+adding a new section to read: 34
87+"§ 115C-295.4. Required teacher license quota. 35
88+(a) A local board of education may employ and contract with necessary teachers to 36
89+perform the particular service for which they are employed in the school, except for those 37
90+teachers employed pursuant to G.S. 115C-325. At least fifty percent (50%) of the teachers in a 38
91+school shall hold teacher licenses. All teachers who are teaching in the core subject areas of 39
92+mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts shall be college graduates. 40
93+(b) All teachers hired by a local board of education who are not licensed as a teacher by 41
94+the State shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator 42
95+preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior 43
96+to beginning instruction: 44
97+(1) The identification and education of children with disabilities. 45
98+(2) Positive management of student behavior. 46
99+(3) Effective communication for defusing and de-escalating disruptive or 47
100+dangerous behavior. 48
101+(4) Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint." 49
102+SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 50
103+the 2025-2026 school year. 51