Proposed bill would allow educators calendar flexibility

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Currently, North Carolina schools are required to start no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and end no later than the Friday closest to June 11.

But in a year that has been rocked by Hurricane Matthew, Brunswick County Schools administrators are wondering how they will make up over a week of lost teacher work days.

“In our system in particular, there are professional development opportunities that we truly want our teachers to have,” said Brunswick County Schools spokeswoman Jessica Swencki.

“In order to do this, we have to find ways to pull teachers from the classroom, because there are no other times in which we can do that.”

Swencki and other education administrators are hoping that House Bill 12 allows them some badly-needed flexibility.

If passed, it would allow school systems to determine their own calendars based on their own individual needs.

Aside from giving schools more calendar freedom, it would also let high school students take more college-level courses.

The bill is one of two bills filed on Wednesday that would give schools more wiggle room. House Bill 13 would also enable schools to choose their class sizes.