03/28/2024
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Gov. Pat McCrory has signed House Bill 17 which will implement sweeping changes to the NC Department of Public Instruction. The State Board of Education met in Raleigh on Tuesday to discuss the bill and requested their attorney to review the changes and did not rule out the possibility of a law suit.

The bill is scheduled to take effect on January 1 and calls for the transfer of the decision-making power over the state’s schools away from the State Board of Education to newly elected State Superintendent Mark Johnson, who is a Republican. The new law gives the State Superintendent more authority over certain functions such as budgetary matters, personnel matters and issues related to school performance to name a few things. You can read the bill in its entirety here.

A press release from Roger Bacon Academy outlined the changes as follows:

*Removes provision that Superintendent will be subject to direction and control of SBE and gives Superintendent control over all staff within DPI, including staff assigned to SBE.

*Provides that Superintendent, as constitutional officer, “shall administer” all needed rules and regulations adopted by SBE through the Department of Public Instruction.   

*Removes SBE’s power to administer funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction.

*Increases number of positions Superintendent (rather than the Governor) can designate as exempt from State Personnel Act (i.e., increasing number of employees who are at will).

*Transfers power to reorganize the Department of Public Instruction due to budget cuts from SBE to Superintendent.

*Provides that the Executive Director of the Office of Charter Schools shall report to the Superintendent, not the SBE.

*Redistributes power to appoint members to the Charter School Advisory Board from the Governor to the Senate (4 appointees), House (4 appointees), and SBE (2 appointees that are charter school advocates).

*Transfers power to appoint “student advisors” and a “superintendent advisor” to the State Board of Education (SBE) from the Governor to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent).

A message left for Bladen County Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor seeking comment was unreturned as of press time.

WRAL reports the both NC State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey and Vice-Chairman A. L.  Collins, who are both Republicans are opposed to the changes. Cobey told WRAL that the working relationship between the current State Superintendent and the State Board of Education has been a good one and he hoped it will continue with newly elected State Superintendent Mark Johnson.

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