School Law Bulletin #1999/01

THE 1990S HAVE SEEN ENORMOUS CHANGES in public school law. The General Assembly has acted on a wide range of issues, including a statewide school accountability program, administrator contracts, teacher tenure and dismissal, student discipline, funds for facilities and technology, authority and flexibility for local school units and individual schools, and charter schools.

In 1998, instead of adopting any major new reform efforts, the General Assembly seemed to catch its breath and focus on amending programs already in place. The legislature modified the existing accountability program and the discipline statutes, as well as other programs, including the state’s testing program. Some of the legis- lation that had a significant impact on local school boards was in areas not directly tied to school person- nel, curriculum, or student issues. Examples include eligibility for sales tax refunds for school administrative units, changes in the driving while impaired (DWI) and purchasing statutes, and recodification of the Juvenile Code. This article presents an overview of 1998 legislation affecting elementary and secondary education in North Carolina.