Compare Bills

Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-03-19

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill requires the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to study how increased parent involvement can reduce repeat student disciplinary problems in schools. The study will examine requiring parents to attend meetings, counseling sessions, or joint counseling with their child as conditions for returning to class after discipline removal, as well as remote instruction alternatives and other evidence-based practices. The department must report findings and recommendations to the legislature by April 15, 2026.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue that parental involvement is crucial to addressing behavior problems and that requiring parents to participate in the discipline process can create accountability and help students succeed.
• •They contend that when parents are engaged in understanding and addressing their child's misconduct, students are less likely to repeat infractions, ultimately improving school safety and academic outcomes.
• •Proponents see this study as a data-driven way to identify policies that strengthen the home-school partnership.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents worry that mandatory parent attendance requirements may disproportionately burden working families, single parents, or families with transportation challenges, potentially creating barriers rather than solutions.
• •They also express concern that the study excludes students with IEPs or 504 plans, which may limit understanding of discipline issues across the full student population, and question whether mandatory counseling requirements are realistic given school resource limitations and whether they address root causes like poverty or trauma.