GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION LAW 2001-97
AN ACT TO AMENd the definition of a school system and amend the recommended school classifications BY adding the definition of THE TERM "MIDDLE SCHOOL".
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-74 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-74. School system defined.
The school system of each local school administrative unit
shall consist of 12 years of study or grades, and shall be graded on the basis
of a school year of not less than nine months. Schools within the system may
be organized in the discretion of the local board of education. The
system may be organized in one or two ways as follows: The first eight grades
shall be styled the elementary school and the remaining four grades, the high
school; or if more practicable, a junior high school may be formed by combining
the first year of high school with both the seventh and eighth grades or with
the eighth grade alone, and a senior high school which shall comprise the last
three years of high school work. For purposes of Title V of the National
Defense Education Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-864) the term "secondary
school" shall be applicable to grades seven through 12."
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-75 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-75. Recommended school classification.
(a) The different types of public schools are classified and defined as follows:
(1) An "elementary
school" is a school which embraces a part or all of the eight elementary
grades and which that includes all or part of the first through eighth
grade and that may have a kindergarten or other early childhood program.
(2) A "high
school" is a school which embraces a high school department above the
elementary grades and which that includes all or part of grades nine
through 12 and that offers at least the minimum high school course of study
prescribed by the State Board of Education.
(3) A
"union school" is a school which embraces both elementary and high
school grades.
(4) A "junior high
school" is a school which embraces not more than the first year of high
school with not more than the upper two elementary grades.that includes
all or part of grades seven through nine.
(4a) A "middle school" is a school that includes all or part of grades six through nine.
(5) A "senior high
school" is a school which embraces that includes the tenth,
eleventh and twelfth grades.
(6) A "union school" is a school that includes elementary, middle, and high school grades.
(b) The school classifications in subsection (a) of this section are recommendations only and do not prohibit local boards of education from classifying schools in other ways."
SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-239 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-239. Authority of local boards of education.
Each local board of education is hereby authorized to
acquire, own, lease, contract and operate school buses for the transportation
of pupils enrolled in the public schools of such local school administrative
unit, and of persons employed in the operation of such schools in accordance
with rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education under the
authority of G.S. 115C-12(17) and within the limitations set forth in G.S. 115C-239
to 115C-246, 115C-248 to 115C-254 and 115C-256 to 115C-259. Boards of education
which own and operate school buses for the transportation of pupils shall have
authority to establish separate systems of transportation for pupils attending
elementary schools and for pupils attending junior or middle
schools, junior high schools, or senior high schools. Each such board may
operate such buses to and from such of the schools within the local school
administrative unit, and in such number, as the board shall from time to time
find practicable and appropriate for the safe, orderly and efficient
transportation of such pupils and employees to such schools."
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2001.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10th day of May, 2001.
s/ Beverly E. Perdue
President of the Senate
s/ James B. Black
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Michael F. Easley
Governor
Approved 12:46 p.m. this 18th day of May, 2001