GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1983 SESSION
CHAPTER 394
AN ACT TO PERMIT A LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT WITH MORE THAN 70,000 STUDENTS TO EXTEND THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR NONTENURED TEACHERS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 115C-325(c)(1) shall be rewritten to read as follows:
"(c)(1) Election of a Teacher to Career Status. When a teacher will have been employed by a North Carolina public school system for three consecutive years, the board, near the end of the third year, shall vote on his employment for the next school year. The board may appoint him to a fourth one-year probationary contract, appoint him a career teacher, or not reappoint him. If the board appoints him to a fourth probationary contract, it shall, near the end of the fourth year, appoint him to a fifth one-year probationary contract, appoint him a career teacher, or not reappoint him. If the board reappoints him to a fifth probationary contract, it shall, near the end of the fifth year, appoint him to a sixth one-year probationary contract, appoint him a career teacher, or not reappoint him. If the board reappoints him to a sixth probationary contract, it shall, near the end of the sixth year, appoint him a career teacher, or not reappoint him. The board shall give the teacher written notice of its decision at least 30 (calendar) days before the end of the employment contract.
If the board votes to appoint him a career teacher, he becomes a career teacher on the first day following the end of his current contract. If the board votes to grant career status and if it has notified the teacher of this decision, it may not later rescind that action but must proceed under the provisions of this section for the demotion or discharge of the teacher if it decides to terminate his employment. If a majority of the board votes against reemploying the teacher, he shall not teach beyond the term specified in his current contract. If the board appoints the teacher to a seventh consecutive contract, he automatically becomes a career teacher on the first day following the end of his current contract.
A year, for purposes of computing time as a probationary teacher, shall be not less than 120 workdays performed as a full- time, permanent teacher in a normal school year."
Sec. 2. Section 1 of this act shall apply only to local school administrative units with more than 70,000 students. Section 1 of this act shall apply only to teachers first employed as probationary teachers for teaching in such units after the 1983-84 school year. This act shall be a pilot program for said administrative units.
Sec. 3. Any local board of education of a school administrative unit subject to the provisions of this act shall report to the State Board as the State Board requires on actions taken to implement this act and the impact of these actions on the local school administrative unit.
Sec. 4. The State Board of Education shall study the reports of the local school administrative units regarding this act and shall make an independent analysis and study of the provisions, as it deems advisable, of this act. On or before March 1, 1985, the State Board shall report to the General Assembly on the provisions of this act. The report shall include the State Board's recommendations on whether said provisions should be modified, terminated, or such other recommendations as are deemed appropriate.
Sec. 5. Nothing herein shall be deemed to amend or repeal the existing provisions of G.S. 115C-325(c)(1) as it applies to local school administrative units with less than 70,000 students.
Sec. 6. This act is effective upon ratification.
Unless action is taken by the General Assembly by July 1, 1985, to reenact or modify the provisions of this act, this act shall expire after July 1, 1985.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 26th day of May, 1983.