NC House, Senate bills would return calendar flexibility to local school districts

Two bills introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly this week would grant local school boards greater authority to set academic calendars, reigniting a long-simmering debate over school-calendar flexibility.

The bills, House Bill 121 and Senate Bill 103, would allow districts to set start dates earlier than the current Aug. 26 mandate for traditional public schools.

Many school districts argue that an earlier start date allows them to complete a full semester of instruction and final exams before winter break, preventing learning loss during the recess.

Supporters also point out that the flexibility would allow school districts to better align high school and community college schedules, making it easier for high school students to earn college credit while still in high school.

The North Carolina tourism industry has long opposed granting school districts more control over their calendars, arguing that earlier start date hurts family vacations and summer tourism revenue. The state’s current school calendar law aligns with the industry’s preference for a break that includes most of August. It played a key role in the current law’s original enactment in 2004.

Legislative efforts to grant local school districts more control over school calendars have stalled in the past. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, (R-Rockingham), has previously said districts should adhere to the current law.

Still, many school districts have in the past defied the state’s Aug. 26 academic start date. Last year, a judge voided Carteret County’s proposed calendar, which had students starting nine weekdays earlier, on Aug. 13.

The House bill is sponsored by a large, bipartisan group of lawmakers led by House Finance Committee Senior Chair and 14-term Republican, Rep. Mitchell Setzer of Catawba and Iredell counties. The Senate bill which includes the apparently tongue-in-cheek title, “Make NC School Calendars Great Again,” includes only Democratic sponsors thus far. Sen. Terrence Everitt of Wake and Granville Counties is the primary sponsor.