‘Compromise’ NC school calendar bill moves ahead with support of tourism industry
Legislation that lets school districts start classes a week earlier in August and increases penalties for violating the state’s school calendar law is advancing in the state Senate.
The N.C. Senate Education Committee on Wednesday backed what’s being called a compromise bill that addresses the desire for school calendar flexibility and the needs of the tourism industry. Sen. Amy Galey, an Alamance County Republican, said the bill will let high school students take final exams before Christmas while also preserving most of the profitable August weeks for the tourism industry.
“Some school districts have found that the school calendar law could be adapted,” said Galey, one of the primary sponsors of the bill. “Not only can it be adapted to better suit the students in the school districts, but also adapted for the industries that we rely on for their tax revenue in order to support the schools.”
Senate Bill 754 now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
One of the bill’s primary sponsors is Senate leader Phil Berger, who has historically not allowed the chamber to consider school calendar bills.
“I’m old enough to remember when I first came here, one of the rules was, don’t do a school calendar bill, and it isn’t going to happen,” said Sen. Buck Newton, a Wilson County Republican. “But times do change. It’s been 20 years.”
Final exams before winter break
State lawmakers have regulated school calendars for more than 20 years, since the tourism industry raised concerns about classes starting earlier in August.
The state’s traditional public schools can’t open sooner than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 or close later than the Friday closest to June 11. The calendar law doesn’t apply to private schools, charter schools, year-round schools and early college high schools.
The state House annually passes school calendar flexibility bills that die in the Senate.
Under the new Senate bill, school districts can start the Monday closest to Aug. 19 as long as they end the school year by the Friday before Memorial Day. Schools would have to have an equal number of days in the fall and spring semester if they use this option.
Rockingham County school board members who spoke during the committee meeting said they’ll be able to schedule final exams before winter break if the bill become law. Berger is from Rockingham County.
“We have advocated for years for flexibility on this calendar to move those days ahead a bit, and so we appreciate that work,” Paula Rakestraw, chair of the Rockingham County school board, told lawmakers.
The response was more muted from the N.C. School Boards Association.
“Some school districts like it.” Bruce Mildwurf, director of government relations for the School Boards Association, said in an email Wednesday. “Many others argue the alternative calendar proposed in this bill is not educationally sound — in part because it requires students to spend fewer days at school during the year. Is that in our students’ best interest?”
Start date moved back to 2026
The bill was amended Wednesday to move the start date back a year to the 2026-27 school year. Galey said this will avoid disrupting vacation plans that families had already made for this summer.
The bill was also amended to keep the good cause exemption that now allows some school districts, such as those in the mountains, to start earlier because they miss so many days due to snow.
Let school start even earlier in August?
Sen. Gladys Robinson, a Guilford County Democrat, said the bill should be amended to give school districts more flexibility to start even earlier in August. Robinson said school districts should have the same calendar flexibility as charter schools.
“If charters are publics, then the other public schools need the same flexibility because they have boards that look at their requirements, so then they provide the best instructional time for the children,” Robinson said.
But Galey said the revenue generated in August helps carry tourism-related businesses through the year.
“For them to give up one of those weeks in August, which is some of their highest grossing weeks of the year, is really a big gesture on their part to try to put this issue behind us and to resolve things,” Galey said.
But Robinson said academics should come ahead of tourism.
“We are more concerned about the education of the children than the travel and tourism industry,” Robinson said.
Penalties for violating calendar law
Statewide, a quarter of North Carolina’s school districts are defying the school calendar law by starting in mid-August. One of the reasons so many don’t follow the law is that there’s no enforcement mechanism.
But under the new bill, the State Board of Education would withhold central office funding to school districts that are not following the calendar law. Districts get state funding to help cover their central office costs.
In addition, the legislation says business owners living in a school district that’s not following the calendar law can file a lawsuit. The court can issue an injunction against the school district, award the business owner’s attorney fees and costs, and impose a civil penalty of up to $15,000 on the school board.
“Local school boards are blatantly violating the law and not adhering to the legislation set forth by this body,” John McPherson, president of NC Realtors, told the committee. “While our members do not want to give up a week of summer break in August, we are here today to support S754 as a reasonable compromise to meet the standards stated as a top priority of our school boards: Having exams before winter break.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 2:47 PM.
