TJCA • Mooresboro NC Legislative Building • Raleigh CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS A practical map of the legal frameworks affecting North Carolina charter schools Examples are illustrative; whether a particular requirement applies depends on the law, facts, funding, and the school’s charter. § FEDERAL LAW Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by ESSA; IDEA; Section 504; Title VI; Title IX. Coverage varies by law, program, and funding. § NC EDUCATION LAW & RULES Chapter 115C and State Board rules. Article 14A sets charter-specific duties; other school-district rules may be exempt, with statutory and charter-based exceptions. § GENERAL & LOCAL LAW General: employment, civil rights, tort, criminal, and property law. Local: zoning, building, fire, health, and safety requirements, as applicable. § PUBLIC AGENCY DUTIES Open meetings and public records requirements apply to charter boards. Student records also carry confidentiality duties, including FERPA requirements. § NONPROFIT LAW North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act (Chapter 55A): corporate governance, conflicts, and dissolution. Federal tax rules apply when relevant to tax-exempt status. § SCHOOL DOCUMENTS Charter; articles of incorporation; bylaws; board policies; contracts. These guide school governance within applicable state and federal law. NORTH CAROLINA CHARTER SCHOOL STATUTE G.S. 115C ARTICLE 14A G.S. 115C-218 et seq. Key North Carolina provisions: G.S. 115C-218 et seq., especially §§ 115C-218.10, 115C-218.15, and 115C-218.25. Verify current statutory text and requirements for the specific school and issue. General educational information; not legal advice. Prepared by David R. Hostetler, J.D., M.A., M.A.T.S. • Lex-is School Law Services • Updated October 2026 Campus and student artwork is illustrative, not documentary photography. STATUTORY EXEMPTION “Except as provided [by the Charter Act] and pursuant to the provisions of its charter, a charter school is exempt from [NC] statutes and rules applicable to a local board of education.” G.S. 115C-218.10 • excerpt; bracketed clarifications added