North Carolina SB 223: Expand Academic Trans. Pathways/Sophomore HS.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 223

Short Title: Expand Academic Trans. Pathways/Sophomore HS. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators McInnis, Lee, and Moffitt (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 4, 2025
*S223-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EXPAND ACADEMIC TRANSITION PATHWAYS FOR SOPHOMORE HIGH 2
SCHOOL STUDENTS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 115D-20(4)a. reads as rewritten: 5
"a. Subject to the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, 6
local community colleges may collaborate with public school units 7
and nonpublic schools to offer courses through the following 8
programs: 9
1. Repealed by Session Laws 2022-71, s. 3.2, effective July 8, 10
2022. 11
2. Academic transition pathways for qualified junior and 12
sophomore, junior, and senior high school students that lead to 13
a career technical education certificate, diploma, or State or 14
industry-recognized credential and academic transition 15
pathways for qualified freshmen and sophomore high school 16
students that lead to a career technical education certificate or 17
diploma in (i) industrial and engineering technologies, (ii) 18
agriculture and natural resources, (iii) transportation 19
technology, (iv) construction, or (v) business technologies. 20
3. College transfer pathways requiring the successful completion 21
of 30 semester credit hours of transfer courses, including 22
English and mathematics, for the following students: 23
I. Qualified junior and senior high school students. 24
II. Qualified freshman and sophomore high school 25
students, if all of the following requirements are met: 26
A. The student is determined to be academically 27
gifted, have a demonstrated readiness for the 28
course material, and have the maturity to justify 29
admission to the community college by (i) the 30
community college president, (ii) the student's 31
high school principal or equivalent 32
administrator, and (iii) the academically gifted 33
coordinator, if one is employed by the high 34
school or local school administrative unit. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 223-First Edition
B. The student participates in academic advising 1
focused on the implications of being admitted 2
to college early with representatives from the 3
high school and the community college. 4
C. The student's parent or guardian has given 5
consent for the student to participate." 6
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 7
the 2025-2026 school year. 8