GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1993 SESSION

CHAPTER 55
HOUSE BILL 410

AN ACT TO MERGE THE BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WASHINGTON CITY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Effective Date of Merger.
The existing Beaufort County School Administrative Unit (the "county unit") and the existing Washington City School Administrative Unit (the "city unit") are merged effective July 1, 1993.  The resulting merged administrative unit shall be known as the Beaufort County School Administrative Unit (the "Merged Unit").
Sec. 2.  Voting Rights Preclearance.
The merger of the county and city units is subject to preclearance under the Federal Voting Rights Act before it may be implemented.  The attorneys of the existing county and city units shall submit this act to the United States Attorney General for preclearance under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act within 30 days of ratification of this act.  In the event this act is not precleared by the Attorney General by July 1, 1993, then merger shall take effect upon the first day of the month following notice of preclearance.
Sec. 3.  Interim Merged Board of Education.
(a)	Upon ratification of this act there shall be created an Interim Merged Beaufort County Board of Education (the "Interim Board") to consist of the following members:
Buell Thomas Allen	Roger Benett Brinn
Jack Franklin Cherry	Randolph Eric Clayton
Russell Clifford Cook	Mary Coffey Gurley
Archie Allen Harding	Henry Donald Hamilton
Mary Bullock Hawkins	Fenner Mac Hodges
William Earl Jefferson, Sr.	Artis Olin Midgette
Patricia Johnson Peele	Betty Barr Randolph
Gary Wayne Sawyer
(b)	The term of office of the members of the Interim Board shall commence upon the ratification of this act, and continue until the effective date of merger.
(c)	Vacancies on the Interim Board shall be filled by appointment by the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.
(d)	The Interim Board shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its members.  The duties of the vice-chairman shall be prescribed by the Interim Board and he/she shall have the same voting rights and privileges as any other member of the Interim Board.  The chairman shall exercise those duties prescribed by the Interim Board not inconsistent with the General Statutes.  The chair, or member acting as chair at any meeting, shall have the right to vote.
(e)	The Interim Board shall have the power to enter into contracts for personnel, professional services, and operational functions, including the authority to employ an Interim Superintendent, support staff, an attorney, and other contracted services, pursuant to such appropriations as may be made by the State Board of Education or the Beaufort County Commissioners.  The terms of the contracts for the Interim Superintendent and other interim personnel shall terminate no later than the effective date of merger.
(f)	Between the ratification of this act and the effective date of merger, neither the city board nor county board may enter into any contract for personnel, other than those eligible for tenure under G.S. 115C-325, which extends beyond the effective date of merger, unless the contract gives the Merged Board authority, in its sole discretion, to ratify or terminate the contract after the effective date of merger.  During the same period neither board may enter into any contract for construction of new school facilities, for the renovation and repair of existing facilities, or for any other purpose, that would involve the expenditure of more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), unless such contract has been approved in writing by the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.  Any contract entered into in violation of this subsection may be voided by the Merged Board in its discretion.
(g)	The State Board of Education shall allot to the Interim Board upon the effective date of this act, one superintendent position and one clerical support position, and the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners may appropriate, at its discretion, such funds to the Interim Board as are necessary for the effective implementation of this act.  The Interim Board may, at its discretion, use such allotments and appropriations to employ personnel or for contracted services.
(h)	The Interim Board may organize itself and adopt policies and procedures consistent with those powers possessed by county boards of education under the General Statutes, for the operation of the Interim Board and to govern the Merged Unit subsequent to the effective date of merger.
(i)	For purposes of dual office holding, the Interim Board shall be considered a joint committee of the existing city and county boards of education.  Compensation of the Interim Board members shall be set by the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.  Those members serving on the Interim Board who also serve on the existing boards of education are eligible for compensation for serving on the Interim Board in addition to the compensation paid to them for service on the existing city and county boards.
Sec. 4.  Merged Administrative Unit.
(a)	Upon the effective date of merger the Interim Board shall become the Merged Board and the members of the Interim Board at that time shall become the members of the Board of Education of the Merged Unit which shall be named the Beaufort County Board of Education (the "Merged Board").
(b)	Until the effective date of merger the existing city and county boards of education shall continue to exercise the same powers and duties for the existing city and county administrative units, except as otherwise herein provided.  The terms of office of the existing city and county boards of education shall be extended from the effective date of this act to the date of merger.  Upon merger, the existing city and county administrative units and the existing city and county boards of education shall cease to exist and the terms of office of the members of the existing city and county boards of education shall terminate.
(c)	Upon merger, the Merged Board shall exercise the powers and duties of a county board of education under the General Statutes, except as otherwise provided in this act.
(d)	Upon the merger, the Merged Board and its successor Permanent Board, established under Section 5, shall assume the title to all property of the existing city and county administrative units.  All claims and demands that the existing city and county boards may have at the time of merger shall be transferred to the Merged Board, and the Merged Board and its successor Permanent Board shall have the same authority to enforce those claims and demands as the existing city and county boards of education would have had, had they continued to exist.  Any obligations and liabilities, including existing personnel contracts, of the existing city and county boards of education shall become the obligations and liabilities of the Merged Board and its successor Permanent Board, and those obligations and liabilities may be enforced against the Merged Board and its successor Permanent Board to the same extent they might be enforced against the existing city and county boards of education had they continued to exist.
(e)	The State Board of Education shall allot positions to the Merged Unit in accordance with the Board's Allotment Policy Manual for the North Carolina Public Schools.  If merger has not been precleared by the Attorney General by July 1, 1993, then the State Board shall make all allotments for the 1993-94 fiscal year in the same manner as it would if merger was not taking place; except those additional allotments as provided for in Section 3(g) of this act shall be continued.
(f)	If the Interim or Merged Board shall employ either of the existing superintendents as Interim Superintendent while that person continues to serve as superintendent of either existing administrative unit, then the allotments to either existing administrative unit or the Merged Unit shall not be reduced as a result of such employment and assignment; provided, however that persons filling positions from such allotments may not be paid from more than one allotment at the time.
(g)	Nothing herein shall be construed to compel nor restrict the Interim or Merged Board in the payment of locally funded supplements, subject to appropriations therefor.
(h)	Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the Interim Board may act as the Merged Board at any time following the formation of the Interim Board for the purpose of employing a Merged Superintendent.  Such action shall require at least a simple majority vote of the membership of the Interim or Merged Board and shall not be inconsistent with Article 18 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes, except as otherwise provided in this act.  Nothing herein shall prohibit the Merged Board from employing the Interim Superintendent as the Merged Superintendent, and nothing herein contained shall require the Merged Board to employ the Interim Superintendent as the Merged Superintendent.
(i)	Vacancies on the Merged Board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Merged Board.
(j)	Compensation paid to members of the Merged Board shall be determined as provided for by the General Statutes for county boards of education.
Sec. 5.  Permanent Board of Education.
(a)	The Permanent Beaufort County Board of Education ("the Permanent Board") shall be comprised of nine members elected from districts.
(b)	The members of the Permanent Board shall be elected for a term of four years in nonpartisan plurality elections held at the time of the general election for county offices.  Duly elected members of the Permanent Board shall take office the first Monday of December immediately following their election and shall take the oath of office prescribed in Article VI, Section 7 of the Constitution.
(c)	The initial election for the Permanent Board shall be held at the time of the General Election in 1994.  In 1994, those seats representing the even-numbered districts shall be elected for a four-year term and those seats representing the odd-numbered districts shall be elected for a two-year term.  In subsequent elections each seat shall be elected for four-year terms.
(d)	The nine electoral districts for elections to be held in 1994 and thereafter are as follows:
The boundaries of the districts are as listed below.  The names and boundaries of townships, tracts, block groups, and blocks are as they were legally defined and recognized in the 1990 U.S. Census.  Boundaries are as shown on the IVTD Version of the United States Bureau of the Census 1990 TIGER Files.

District 1: Beaufort County: Washington township: Tract 9903: Block Group 2: Block 202, Block 203, Block 204, Block 205, Block 206; Block Group 3: Block 301, Block 302, Block 303, Block 304, Block 305; Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 403, Block 404, Block 405, Block 406, Block 407, Block 408, Block 409A, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 416A, Block 417A, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 423, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434, Block 435, Block 436, Block 437, Block 438, Block 439, Block 440, Block 441, Block 442, Block 443, Block 444, Block 445, Block 446, Block 447, Block 448, Block 449, Block 450, Block 451, Block 452, Block 453, Block 454, Block 455, Block 456, Block 457, Block 458, Block 459, Block 460, Block 461, Block 462, Block 463, Block 464, Block 465, Block 466, Block 467, Block 468, Block 469, Block 470, Block 471A, Block 472, Block 473, Block 474, Block 475, Block 476, Block 477, Block 478; Block Group 5: Block 503A, Block 504A, Block 505A, Block 507C, Block 512A, Block 513, Block 514A, Block 514B, Block 516, Block 517, Block 518, Block 519, Block 520, Block 521, Block 522, Block 523, Block 524, Block 525A, Block 525B, Block 525C, Block 526, Block 527, Block 528, Block 529, Block 530, Block 531, Block 532, Block 533, Block 534, Block 535, Block 536, Block 537; Tract 9904: Block Group 2, Block Group 3: Block 301A, Block 301B, Block 302A, Block 302B, Block 302C, Block 304, Block 305, Block 306, Block 307A, Block 307B, Block 308A, Block 308B, Block 308C, Block 308D, Block 309, Block 310A, Block 310B, Block 311A, Block 311B, Block 311C, Block 312A, Block 312B, Block 314, Block 315, Block 316, Block 317A, Block 317B, Block 317C, Block 317D, Block 318, Block 319, Block 320, Block 321, Block 322, Block 323, Block 324, Block 325, Block 326, Block 327, Block 328, Block 329, Block 330, Block 331, Block 332, Block 333, Block 334, Block 335, Block 336, Block 337, Block 338, Block 339, Block 340, Block 341, Block 342, Block 343, Block 344, Block 345, Block 346, Block 347, Block 348, Block 349, Block 350, Block 351, Block 352, Block 353, Block 354, Block 355, Block 356, Block 357, Block 358, Block 359, Block 360, Block 361A, Block 361B, Block 362, Block 363, Block 364, Block 365, Block 366A, Block 366B.

District 2: Beaufort County: Chocowinity township: Tract 9909: Block Group 1: Block 105A, Block 132A, Block 133A, Block 134A, Block 135A, Block 137, Block 138, Block 139, Block 141, Block 145A, Block 152A, Block 155A, Block 157A, Block 158, Block 159, Block 160, Block 161, Block 177, Block 179, Block 180, Block 181; Block Group 2: Block 206, Block 207, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 213, Block 216, Block 217, Block 218, Block 220, Block 221, Block 224, Block 227, Block 233, Block 271, Block 273, Block 274, Block 275, Block 276, Block 282, Block 287, Block 288, Block 289, Block 290, Block 291; Block Group 3: Block 305, Block 307, Block 308, Block 309, Block 313, Block 322, Block 323, Block 324, Block 334; Tract 9910: Block Group 1: Block 109A, Block 109B, Block 110, Block 158B, Block 159A, Block 159B, Block 162; Block Group 2: Block 215, Block 216, Block 219; Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 404, Block 405, Block 406, Block 417; Richland township: Tract 9908: Block Group 1, Block Group 2, Block Group 3, Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 403, Block 404, Block 405, Block 409, Block 440, Block 441, Block 442, Block 443, Block 444, Block 445, Block 446, Block 447, Block 451, Block 452, Block 461, Block 462, Block 463, Block 464, Block 465, Block 466, Block 467, Block 468; Block Group 5; Tract 9909: Block Group 1: Block 105B, Block 106, Block 130, Block 131, Block 132B, Block 133B, Block 134B, Block 135B, Block 136, Block 145B, Block 146, Block 147, Block 148, Block 149, Block 150, Block 151, Block 152B, Block 154, Block 155B, Block 156, Block 166, Block 167, Block 168, Block 169, Block 170.

District 3: Beaufort County: Bath township: Tract 9901: Block Group 2: Block 228A; Tract 9906: Block Group 2: Block 206A, Block 207, Block 220A, Block 221A, Block 244; Tract 9907: Block Group 1: Block 101, Block 102, Block 103, Block 104, Block 105, Block 106, Block 107, Block 119, Block 120, Block 121, Block 122, Block 123, Block 124, Block 125, Block 126, Block 127, Block 128, Block 129, Block 130, Block 131, Block 132, Block 133; Block Group 4: Block 402, Block 403, Block 414, Block 415; Pantego township: Tract 9901: Block Group 1: Block 151, Block 154, Block 159, Block 160, Block 161, Block 166, Block 167, Block 168, Block 169, Block 177, Block 178, Block 179; Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 204, Block 205, Block 206, Block 220B, Block 221, Block 222, Block 226, Block 227, Block 228B, Block 231, Block 232, Block 233, Block 235, Block 238, Block 239, Block 240, Block 242, Block 243; Block Group 3: Block 302, Block 303, Block 304, Block 305, Block 306, Block 307, Block 308, Block 309A, Block 309B, Block 310A, Block 310B, Block 311A, Block 311B, Block 312A, Block 312B, Block 313, Block 314, Block 315, Block 316A, Block 316B, Block 317A, Block 317B, Block 318A, Block 318B, Block 319A, Block 319B, Block 320A, Block 320B, Block 321, Block 322, Block 323, Block 324, Block 325, Block 326, Block 327A, Block 327B, Block 328A, Block 328B, Block 329A, Block 329B, Block 330, Block 331, Block 332, Block 333A, Block 333B, Block 334, Block 335, Block 336, Block 337, Block 338, Block 339, Block 340, Block 341; Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 403, Block 404, Block 405, Block 406, Block 407, Block 408, Block 409, Block 410, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 414, Block 415, Block 416B, Block 417, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420A, Block 420B, Block 421, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434, Block 435; Block Group 5, Block Group 6: Block 601, Block 602A, Block 602B, Block 602C, Block 603, Block 604, Block 605, Block 606, Block 607, Block 608, Block 609.

District 4: Beaufort County: Chocowinity township: Tract 9909: Block Group 1: Block 140, Block 142, Block 143, Block 144, Block 153, Block 162, Block 163A, Block 176A, Block 178, Block 182, Block 183A, Block 184A, Block 196A, Block 197; Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 202, Block 203, Block 204, Block 205, Block 212, Block 214, Block 215, Block 219, Block 222, Block 223, Block 225, Block 226, Block 228, Block 229, Block 230, Block 231, Block 232, Block 234, Block 235, Block 236, Block 237, Block 238, Block 239, Block 240, Block 241, Block 242, Block 243, Block 244, Block 245, Block 246, Block 247, Block 248, Block 249, Block 250, Block 251, Block 252, Block 253, Block 254, Block 255, Block 256, Block 257, Block 258, Block 259, Block 260, Block 261, Block 262, Block 263, Block 264, Block 265, Block 266, Block 267, Block 268, Block 269, Block 270, Block 272, Block 277, Block 278, Block 279, Block 280, Block 281, Block 283, Block 284, Block 285, Block 286, Block 292, Block 293, Block 294, Block 295, Block 296, Block 297; Block Group 3: Block 301, Block 302, Block 303, Block 304, Block 306, Block 310, Block 311, Block 312, Block 314, Block 315, Block 316, Block 317, Block 318, Block 319, Block 320, Block 321, Block 325, Block 326, Block 327, Block 328, Block 329, Block 330, Block 331, Block 332, Block 333, Block 335, Block 336, Block 337, Block 338, Block 339, Block 340; Tract 9910: Block Group 1: Block 104, Block 105, Block 106A, Block 106B, Block 107, Block 108, Block 111, Block 112A, Block 112B, Block 113, Block 134, Block 135, Block 136, Block 137, Block 138, Block 139, Block 140A, Block 140B, Block 141, Block 142, Block 143, Block 144, Block 145, Block 146, Block 147, Block 148, Block 149, Block 150, Block 151, Block 152, Block 153, Block 154, Block 155, Block 156, Block 157, Block 158A, Block 160, Block 161, Block 163A, Block 163B, Block 163C, Block 164A, Block 164B, Block 164C, Block 165, Block 166, Block 167, Block 168, Block 169, Block 170, Block 171, Block 172, Block 193A, Block 193B, Block 194, Block 195; Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 202, Block 203, Block 204, Block 205, Block 206, Block 207, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 212, Block 213, Block 214, Block 217, Block 218, Block 220, Block 221, Block 222, Block 223, Block 224, Block 225, Block 226, Block 227, Block 228, Block 229, Block 230, Block 231, Block 232, Block 233, Block 234, Block 235, Block 236, Block 237, Block 238, Block 239, Block 240, Block 241, Block 242; Block Group 3, Block Group 4: Block 403, Block 407, Block 408, Block 409, Block 410, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 414, Block 415, Block 416, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 423, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434, Block 435, Block 436, Block 437, Block 438, Block 439, Block 440, Block 441; Richland township: Tract 9908: Block Group 4: Block 406, Block 407, Block 408, Block 410, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 414, Block 415, Block 416, Block 417, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 423, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434, Block 435, Block 436, Block 437, Block 438, Block 439, Block 448, Block 449, Block 450, Block 453, Block 454, Block 455, Block 456, Block 457, Block 458, Block 459, Block 460, Block 469, Block 470, Block 471, Block 472, Block 473, Block 474, Block 475, Block 476, Block 477, Block 478; Tract 9909: Block Group 1: Block 101, Block 102, Block 103, Block 104, Block 107, Block 108, Block 109, Block 110, Block 111, Block 112, Block 113, Block 114, Block 115, Block 116, Block 117, Block 118, Block 119, Block 120, Block 121, Block 122, Block 123, Block 124, Block 125, Block 126, Block 127, Block 128, Block 129, Block 157B, Block 163B, Block 164, Block 165, Block 171, Block 172, Block 173, Block 174, Block 175, Block 176B, Block 183B, Block 184B, Block 185, Block 186, Block 187, Block 188, Block 189, Block 190, Block 191, Block 192, Block 193, Block 194, Block 195, Block 196B.

District 5: Beaufort County: Chocowinity township: Tract 9910: Block Group 1: Block 101, Block 102, Block 103, Block 114, Block 115, Block 116, Block 117, Block 118, Block 119, Block 120, Block 121, Block 122, Block 123, Block 124, Block 125, Block 126, Block 127, Block 128, Block 129, Block 130, Block 131, Block 132, Block 133, Block 173, Block 174, Block 175, Block 176, Block 177, Block 178, Block 179, Block 180, Block 181, Block 182, Block 183, Block 184, Block 185, Block 186, Block 187, Block 188, Block 189, Block 190, Block 191, Block 192; Washington township: Tract 9902: Block Group 1: Block 129B, Block 130B, Block 131, Block 132, Block 133, Block 134, Block 135, Block 136, Block 137, Block 138, Block 139, Block 140, Block 141, Block 142, Block 143, Block 144, Block 145, Block 146, Block 147, Block 148, Block 149, Block 150, Block 151, Block 152, Block 153, Block 154, Block 155, Block 156, Block 157B, Block 158B, Block 159B, Block 160B, Block 175B, Block 176B, Block 185B, Block 186B, Block 187B, Block 189, Block 190, Block 191, Block 197; Block Group 2; Tract 9903: Block Group 4: Block 409B, Block 410A, Block 410B, Block 414A, Block 414B, Block 415A, Block 415B, Block 416B, Block 416C, Block 416D, Block 417B, Block 471B; Block Group 5: Block 501A, Block 501B, Block 502A, Block 502B, Block 503B, Block 504B, Block 505B, Block 505C, Block 506, Block 507A, Block 507B, Block 507D, Block 508, Block 509, Block 510, Block 511, Block 512B, Block 514C, Block 515; Tract 9904: Block Group 3: Block 302D, Block 303, Block 313.

District 6: Beaufort County: Washington township: Tract 9903: Block Group 1, Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 207, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 212, Block 213, Block 214, Block 215, Block 216, Block 217, Block 218, Block 219, Block 220, Block 221, Block 222, Block 223, Block 224, Block 225, Block 226, Block 227, Block 228, Block 229, Block 230, Block 231, Block 232, Block 233; Block Group 3: Block 306, Block 307, Block 308, Block 309, Block 310, Block 311, Block 312, Block 313, Block 314, Block 315, Block 316, Block 317, Block 318, Block 319, Block 320; Tract 9904: Block Group 1, Block Group 4.

District 7: Beaufort County: Long Acre township: Tract 9905: Block Group 1, Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 202, Block 203, Block 204, Block 205, Block 206, Block 207, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 212, Block 213, Block 214, Block 215, Block 216, Block 217, Block 218, Block 219, Block 220, Block 221, Block 222, Block 223, Block 224, Block 225, Block 226, Block 227, Block 228, Block 229, Block 230, Block 231, Block 232; Block Group 3, Block Group 4: Block 403A, Block 404, Block 405, Block 406, Block 407, Block 408, Block 409, Block 410, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 414, Block 415, Block 416, Block 417, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430; Pantego township: Tract 9905: Block Group 4: Block 403B; Block Group 5: Block 570.

District 8: Beaufort County: Bath township: Tract 9906: Block Group 2: Block 219A, Block 222, Block 223A, Block 224A, Block 225A, Block 235A, Block 235B, Block 236, Block 237, Block 238, Block 239, Block 240, Block 241, Block 242, Block 243, Block 245; Block Group 3, Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 403, Block 404A, Block 434A, Block 435A, Block 436, Block 437, Block 438, Block 439, Block 440, Block 441, Block 442, Block 443, Block 444; Tract 9907: Block Group 1: Block 108, Block 109, Block 110, Block 111, Block 112, Block 113, Block 114, Block 115, Block 116, Block 117, Block 118, Block 134, Block 135, Block 136, Block 137, Block 138, Block 139, Block 140, Block 141, Block 142, Block 143, Block 144, Block 145, Block 146; Block Group 2, Block Group 3, Block Group 4: Block 404, Block 405, Block 406, Block 407A, Block 407B, Block 407C, Block 408, Block 409, Block 410, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 416, Block 417, Block 418, Block 419A, Block 419B, Block 419C, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 423, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429A, Block 429B, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434, Block 435, Block 436, Block 437, Block 438, Block 439, Block 440, Block 441, Block 442, Block 443, Block 444, Block 445, Block 446, Block 447, Block 448, Block 449, Block 450, Block 451, Block 452, Block 453, Block 454, Block 455, Block 456; Long Acre township: Tract 9906: Block Group 2: Block 225B, Block 235C; Block Group 4: Block 404B, Block 406, Block 407, Block 411, Block 412, Block 413, Block 414, Block 418, Block 419, Block 420, Block 421, Block 422, Block 423, Block 424, Block 425, Block 426, Block 427, Block 428, Block 429, Block 430, Block 431, Block 432, Block 433, Block 434B, Block 435B; Pantego township: Tract 9901: Block Group 2: Block 212B, Block 214, Block 223, Block 224, Block 225, Block 234, Block 236, Block 237, Block 241; Block Group 4: Block 416A, Block 422, Block 423; Block Group 6: Block 610, Block 611, Block 612, Block 613, Block 614, Block 615, Block 616, Block 617, Block 618, Block 619, Block 620, Block 621, Block 622, Block 623, Block 624, Block 625, Block 626, Block 627, Block 628, Block 629, Block 630, Block 631, Block 632, Block 633A, Block 633B, Block 634, Block 635, Block 636, Block 637, Block 638, Block 639; Tract 9906: Block Group 2: Block 201, Block 202, Block 203, Block 204, Block 205, Block 206B, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 212, Block 213, Block 214, Block 215, Block 216, Block 217, Block 218, Block 219B, Block 220B, Block 221B, Block 223B, Block 224B, Block 225C, Block 225D, Block 226, Block 227, Block 228, Block 229, Block 230, Block 231, Block 232, Block 233, Block 234, Block 235D; Block Group 4: Block 404C, Block 405.

District 9: Beaufort County: Bath township: Tract 9901: Block Group 2: Block 212A, Block 213A, Block 216, Block 217, Block 218A, Block 220A, Block 229A, Block 230; Tract 9907: Block Group 4: Block 401; Long Acre township: Tract 9901: Block Group 1: Block 108A, Block 109, Block 110, Block 111, Block 112, Block 113, Block 114, Block 115, Block 116, Block 117, Block 118, Block 119, Block 120, Block 121, Block 122A, Block 170, Block 171, Block 172, Block 173, Block 174; Tract 9902: Block Group 1: Block 101, Block 102, Block 103, Block 104, Block 105, Block 106, Block 107, Block 108, Block 109, Block 110, Block 111, Block 112, Block 113, Block 114, Block 115, Block 116, Block 117, Block 118, Block 119, Block 120, Block 121, Block 122, Block 123, Block 124, Block 125, Block 126, Block 127, Block 128, Block 129A, Block 130A, Block 157A, Block 158A, Block 159A, Block 160A, Block 161, Block 162, Block 163, Block 164, Block 165, Block 166, Block 167, Block 168, Block 169, Block 170, Block 171, Block 172, Block 173, Block 174, Block 175A, Block 176A, Block 177, Block 178, Block 179, Block 180, Block 181, Block 182, Block 183, Block 184, Block 185A, Block 186A, Block 187A, Block 188, Block 192, Block 193, Block 194; Tract 9905: Block Group 5: Block 509, Block 510, Block 511, Block 512, Block 513, Block 514, Block 515, Block 516, Block 517, Block 518, Block 519, Block 520, Block 521, Block 522B, Block 522C, Block 522D, Block 523, Block 524, Block 525, Block 526, Block 527, Block 528B, Block 529, Block 530, Block 531, Block 532, Block 533, Block 534, Block 535, Block 536, Block 537, Block 538, Block 539, Block 540, Block 541, Block 542, Block 543, Block 544, Block 545, Block 546, Block 569, Block 577, Block 578, Block 579, Block 580, Block 581; Tract 9906: Block Group 1, Block Group 4: Block 415; Pantego township: Tract 9901: Block Group 1: Block 101, Block 102, Block 103, Block 104, Block 105, Block 106, Block 107, Block 108B, Block 122B, Block 123, Block 124, Block 125, Block 126, Block 127, Block 128, Block 129, Block 130, Block 131, Block 132, Block 133, Block 134, Block 135, Block 136, Block 137, Block 138, Block 139, Block 140, Block 141, Block 142, Block 143, Block 144, Block 145, Block 146, Block 147, Block 148, Block 149, Block 150, Block 152, Block 153, Block 155, Block 156, Block 157, Block 158, Block 162, Block 163, Block 164, Block 165, Block 175, Block 176; Block Group 2: Block 202, Block 203, Block 207, Block 208, Block 209, Block 210, Block 211, Block 213B, Block 215, Block 218B, Block 219, Block 229B; Block Group 3: Block 301; Tract 9902: Block Group 1: Block 195, Block 196; Tract 9905: Block Group 4: Block 401, Block 402, Block 423, Block 424; Block Group 5: Block 501, Block 502, Block 503, Block 504, Block 505, Block 506, Block 507, Block 508, Block 547, Block 548, Block 549, Block 550, Block 551, Block 552, Block 553, Block 554, Block 555, Block 556, Block 557, Block 558, Block 559, Block 560, Block 561, Block 562, Block 563, Block 564, Block 565, Block 566, Block 567, Block 568, Block 571, Block 572, Block 573, Block 574, Block 575, Block 576; Tract 9906: Block Group 4: Block 408, Block 409, Block 410, Block 416, Block 417; Washington township: Tract 9905: Block Group 5: Block 522A, Block 528A.
(e)	Upon installation of the Permanent Board as provided for in subsection (b) of this section, the Permanent Board shall assume the full duty and responsibility for the governance of the Merged Unit, and the terms of office of the members of the Merged Board shall terminate and the Merged Board shall cease to exist.  Upon the installation of the Permanent Board that board shall assume all of the duties, functions, and powers of the Merged Board as provided for in Section 4(d) above.
(f)	The compensation paid to members of the Permanent Board shall be determined as provided for by the General Statutes for county boards of education.
(g)	The existing authorized supplemental school tax within the city unit is hereby abolished, effective July 1, 1993, but this does not affect the validity of any existing tax lien or the duty to pay any already levied tax.
(h)	It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Board of Commissioners of Beaufort County shall insure that the per pupil appropriations from county appropriations to the Merged Unit shall be adequate to provide for equal access to a quality education for all children in the Merged Unit; provided, however that the per pupil county appropriations to the Merged Unit shall at no time be less than the higher of the normal appropriations to either the existing city or county unit in the five years prior to merger.
(i)	Vacancies on the Permanent Board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Permanent Board.  Any person appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Permanent Board must be at the time of the appointment and must remain a resident of the district for which he/she is appointed.  Appointments to fill vacancies on the Permanent Board shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(j)	Should any member of the Permanent Board change his/her residence, then that member shall notify the Secretary of the Permanent Board within 15 days of such change who shall then immediately notify the Permanent Board of such notice.  If the Permanent Board determines that the member's change of residence has caused the member to no longer be a resident of the district from which the member was elected or appointed then that person shall no longer be eligible to serve on the Permanent Board representing that district and the board shall declare a vacancy.
Sec. 6.  Severability and Remedy for Nullification.
In the event that any section or portion of this act shall be found to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction or be objected to by the Attorney General of the United States pursuant to section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, such findings or objections shall in no way nullify any other section or portion of this act not found to be invalid or objected to.  If the Attorney General objects to any portion of this act concerning the method of selecting the Interim, Merged, or Permanent Board, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners may alter, by resolution, such portions of this plan as necessary to achieve compliance with the Voting Rights Act.  The changes made by the Board of Commissioners shall have the same effect as if enacted by the General Assembly.  Any resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners pursuant to this section shall be filed with the Secretary of State, the Register of Deeds for Beaufort County, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Secretary of the Interim or Merged Board upon final approval of the merger plan by the Attorney General.
Sec. 7.  This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 19th day of May, 1993.

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Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate

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Daniel Blue, Jr.
Speaker of the House of Representatives