SB 92

Adds new Part 8, “Courses and Credits,” to Article 7B to GS Chapter 115C, consisting of new GS 115C-78.3 (released time courses), as follows. Defines released time course as a course in religious moral instruction taught by a sponsoring entity (defined) that a student attends during the instructional day. Allows the governing body of a public school unit to adopt a policy to allow students to attend a released time course for at least one but no more than five hours per week. Requires the policy to contain a minimum of six listed components, including a parental consent requirement for the student to attend the released time courses, that transportation to the location of the released time course is the responsibility of the sponsoring entity, the student, or their parent or guardian, that students assume responsibility for any missed schoolwork, that released time courses are not to be held on school property unless permitted under a neutral policy of equal access opening school property for use by community groups, and that no federal, State or local funds, other than minimal administrative costs incurred by facilitating the released time course policy can be spent in providing the released time course. Allows for awarding up to two elective course credits for a student successfully completing a released time course in line with the listed requirements. Sets out provisions governing the calculation of how much credit to award. Requires an organization that provides a released time course to do the following: (1) maintain attendance records and make the records available to the public school unit the students enrolled in the course attend; (2) upon request of a governing body of a public school unit that has students taking or seeking to take a released time course from that organization, provide a copy of the syllabus for the course; (3) make provisions for and assume liability for students while they are under supervision of the sponsoring organization.