North Carolina HB 566: Grantsboro Charter Amendment.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 566

Short Title: Principal Fellows Changes. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Cotham, Blackwell, Biggs, and Willis (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules,
Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 31, 2025
*H566-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE PRINCIPAL FELLOWS PROGRAM. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
4
PART I. ESTABLISH DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR PRINCIPAL FELLOWS 5
PROGRAM 6
SECTION 1. Article 5C of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten: 7
"Article 5C. 8
"North Carolina Principal Fellows Program. 9
... 10
"§ 116-74.44. North Carolina Principal Fellows Program established; administration. 11
(a) Established. – There is established the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program as 12
a competitive grant program for eligible entities for the purpose of elevating educators in North 13
Carolina public schools by transforming the preparation of principals across the State and 14
providing for (i) forgivable scholarship loans to the participants of those school leader 15
preparation programs. programs and (ii) grants to school leader preparation programs to develop 16
innovative ways of training principals. The Authority shall administer the North Carolina 17
Principal Fellows Program in collaboration with the Commission as set forth in this Article to 18
provide funds for the preparation and support of highly effective future school principals in North 19
Carolina. 20
... 21
(c) Administration of Forgivable Scholarship Loans. – Upon the grant recipients' 22
selection selection by grant recipients for forgivable scholarship loans of the program participants 23
for the school leader preparation programs, the Commission shall transfer the names of all 24
program participants to the Authority. The Authority shall perform all of the administrative 25
functions necessary to implement the forgivable scholarship loans to the school leader 26
preparation program participants, which functions shall include rule making, disseminating 27
information, acting as a liaison with participating eligible entities, implementing forgivable loan 28
agreements in the form of promissory notes, monitoring loan repayment through service and 29
cash, and performing all other functions necessary for the execution, payment, and enforcement 30
of promissory notes required under this Article. 31
... 32
"§ 116-74.45. Grant applications; priority. 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 566-First Edition
(a) Application Requirements. – Subject to the availability of funds for this purpose, the 1
Commission shall issue a request for proposal with guidelines and criteria for applying for a 2
grant. grants to provide forgivable scholarship loans and develop innovative ways of training 3
principals. An eligible entity that seeks a grant shall submit to the Commission an application at 4
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Commission may 5
require. Eligible entities may create partnerships to develop and establish school leader 6
preparation programs and apply jointly to be a grant recipient. An applicant shall include at least 7
the following information in its application for consideration by the Commission: 8
... 9
"§ 116-74.46. Recipient selection; use of grant funds; duration and conditions of grants; 10
reporting requirements. 11
(a) Selection. – After evaluation of grant applications pursuant to G.S. 116-74.45, the 12
Commission shall notify the Authority of its selection of the recipients of grants for each fiscal 13
year. The Commission shall select up to eight grant recipients to be operating operate a school 14
leader preparation program with grant funds for forgivable scholarship loans in any fiscal 15
year.year and up to two recipients for a grant of up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars 16
($250,000) per recipient per fiscal year to develop innovative ways of training principals. 17
(b) Use of Funds. Grant Funds for Forgivable Scholarship Loans. – Each eligible entity 18
that receives grant funds for forgivable scholarship loans shall use those funds to carry out the 19
following: 20
... 21
(c) Duration and Conditions of Grants. – The Commission shall also notify the Authority 22
of its decisions on the duration and renewal of grants to eligible entities made in accordance with 23
the following: 24
(1) The duration of grants for forgivable scholarship loans shall be as follows: 25
a. Grants shall be no more than six years and no fewer than two years in 26
duration, unless the Commission finds early termination of a grant is 27
necessary due to noncompliance with grant terms. 28
b. The Commission may renew a grant based on compliance with the 29
grant terms and performance, includi