Agenda - 09-28-2017 - 7. Information Item - NCSBA 2017 Legislative Summary

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Funds the initial cost of the program with the $6.1 million fund balance in the North Carolina Education Endowment Fund and a$1 million General Fund appropriation. G.S. 116-209.60 through -209.63. Section 10A.4 Personal Education Savings Account Program Sets up a program whereby parents/guardians of public school children with disabilities can receive up to $9,000 per year of public tax dollars deposited into a personal savings account if they pull their child out of the public education system. Provides the parents with a debit card and authorizes the parent to use the tax dollars for special education expenses, including private school tuition and other educational services. Allows the personal education savings account for parents of children with disabilities, who were not previously in public schools, and who are any of the following: • A foster care child. • A recently adopted child. • A child of a full-time active duty member of the military or national guard. • A child entering kindergarten or grade 1. • A child enrolled part-time in a public school and part-time in a nonpublic school that serves children with disabilities. Requires that students must be assessed every 3 years to verify their continued status as a child with a disability. This can be done either by the LEA or a licensed psychologist with a school psychology focus or a psychiatrist. Establishes additional eligibility criteria and lays out guidelines to apply for the funds. Delineates specific purposes for which personal education savings account monies may be spent. Allows a parent/guardian to access the education savings account, the Opportunity Scholarship school vouchers, and the special education school voucher if the student has one of 6 specific disabilities. Appropriates $450,000 to set up the program in 2017-18 and then $3,000,000 to be distributed into education savings accounts in 2018-19. Effective with the 2018-19 school year. G.S. 105-153.5(b); 115C-567.5 through -567.13. Section 10A.5 Amend Transforming Principal Preparation Amends the principal preparation grant program created in 2015 as follows: • Adds a fifth priority area. • Clarifies that a grant applicant's minimum of five months of full-time clinical practice must be paid and contain at least 750 hours. • Expands a grant applicant's operation of a school leader preparation program to include the opportunity for all candidates to earn a master's degree and principal licensure. • Directs a process be established to recoup funds from recipients that are noncompliant with the grant terms. 31