North Carolina SB 1006: K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 2
SENATE BILL 1006
Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 6/3/26

Short Title: K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
May 4, 2026
*S1006-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO SUPPORT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 2
PUBLIC EDUCATION, TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE LAWS AFFECTING 3
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND TO ENACT 4
PROVISIONS TO TRANSFORM THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
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PART I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY PUBLIC EDUCATION 8
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NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN COMMISSION 10
SECTION 1.1.(a) Commission Established. – There is established the North 11
Carolina High School Redesign Commission (Commission). The Commission shall be located 12
administratively in the Department of Public Instruction but shall exercise all of its prescribed 13
powers independently of the Department. The purpose of the Commission is to explore and 14
recommend changes to policies and systems governing high school and higher education that 15
will better prepare North Carolina students for success as they transition to higher education or 16
the workforce. 17
SECTION 1.1.(b) Commission Membership. – The Commission shall consist of 15 18
members as follows: 19
(1) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 20
the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 21
(2) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 22
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 23
(3) One member appointed by the Governor. 24
(4) The State Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee. 25
(5) The President of The University of North Carolina or his or her designee. 26
(6) The President of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities or his 27
or her designee. 28
(7) The President of the North Carolina Community College System or his or her 29
designee. 30
(8) The chief executive officers of each of the following organizations, or their 31
designees: MyFutureNC, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, BEST 32
NC, and SparkNC. 33
(9) One chief administrative officer or president of a community college 34
participating in a program, project, or initiative developed pursuant to this act 35
and one superintendent of a local school administrative unit participating in a 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
program, project, or initiative developed pursuant to this act or their respective 1
designees. These members shall be appointed by the chair of the Commission 2
elected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 3
SECTION 1.1.(c) The Commission shall elect a chair from the members appointed 4
by the General Assembly. Each member shall have one vote for the chair, except those members 5
to be appointed by the chair pursuant to subdivision (9) of subsection (b) of this section who shall 6
be appointed after a chair is elected. The Commission shall meet at least four times annually. The 7
Commission shall meet on the call of the chair or as additionally provided by the Commission. 8
A quorum is six members of the Commission. Members may not vote by proxy. 9
SECTION 1.1.(d) All members shall be appointed to terms for the entire duration of 10
the Commission. Any vacancy in a term shall be filled by the appointing authority for the 11
remainder of the unexpired term. 12
SECTION 1.1.(e) Commission Duties. – The Commission shall examine promising 13
practices in North Carolina and nationally to inform the Commission's recommendations. At a 14
minimum, the Commission shall consider the following: 15
(1) Flexible requirements for high school diplomas that are relevant to the 16
knowledge, skills, and abilities students will need for success in the future 17
workforce. 18
(2) Access to apprenticeships, internships, clinical experiences, and other 19
high-quality, work-based learning experiences while in high school. 20
(3) Opportunities for students to earn industry recognized credentials while in 21
high school. 22
(4) Partnerships between public school units and North Carolina Community 23
Colleges, The University of North Carolina, and North Carolina Independent 24
Colleges and Universities for the purposes of facilitating subdivisions (1) 25
through (3) of this subsection. 26
(5) Personalized pathways for students to satisfy core graduation requirements. 27
(6) Modular credit-bearing alternatives to semester or yearlong courses. 28
(7) Competency-based alternatives to time bound courses. 29
(8) Strategies for extending learning beyond school walls at scale via community 30
connected experiences, including incorporating incentives for local businesses 31
to partner with schools. 32
(9) Uses of artificial intelligence to expand student opportunities to engage in 33
career exploration and work-based learning experiences. 34
(10) Alternative funding models to enable the d