(a)(Applicable beginning July 1, 2025 - see note) Establishment. - The following are created as separate State agencies governed respectively by boards of trustees:
(1)The Governor Morehead School for the Blind of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are blind or visually impaired from birth to age 22. The Governor Morehead School for the Blind shall include the Governor Morehead Preschool.
(2)The Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(3)The North Carolina School for the Deaf of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are deaf or hard of h
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(a) (Applicable beginning July 1, 2025 - see note) Establishment. - The following are created as separate State agencies governed respectively by boards of trustees:
(1) The Governor Morehead School for the Blind of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are blind or visually impaired from birth to age 22. The Governor Morehead School for the Blind shall include the Governor Morehead Preschool.
(2) The Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(3) The North Carolina School for the Deaf of the Department of Public Instruction for the function, purpose, and duty of serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(a1) State Board of Education Supervision. - The State Board of Education shall have general supervision over the schools for the deaf and blind in accordance with G.S. 115C-12 and shall establish approximately equivalent service areas for each school for the deaf that cover the entire State. In establishing the service area for each school for the deaf, the State Board shall consider both the geographic proximity to the school for the deaf and the population of the service area. The State Board shall evaluate the effectiveness of the schools for the deaf and blind and shall, through the application of the accountability system developed under G.S. 115C-83.15 and G.S. 115C-105.35, measure the educational performance and growth of students placed in each school. If appropriate, the Board may modify this system to adapt to the specific characteristics of these schools. The boards of trustees for the schools for the deaf and blind shall be subject to rules adopted by the State Board of Education in accordance with Chapter 150B of the General Statutes for public school units.
(b) (Applicable beginning July 1, 2025 - see note) Department of Public Instruction Support. - The Department of Public Instruction shall include the schools for the deaf and blind and employees of those schools in coverage for professional liability, workers' compensation, property, and liability policies purchased by the Department for the Department or its employees, and shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the schools to facilitate the purchase of other insurance policies for those schools. In all other matters, the Department of Public Instruction shall provide services, support, and assistance to schools for the deaf and blind in the same manner and degree as for a local school administrative unit.
(c) (Applicable beginning July 1, 2025 - see note) Administrative Support. - The Department of Administration shall provide support to each school in matters related to finance, human resources, and procurement, including for information technology. Each school shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Administration with regard to this support. No civil liability shall attach to the Department of Administration, or to any of its employees, individually or collectively, for any acts or omissions of a school.
(d) Immunity. - In addition to all other immunities provided to them by applicable State law, a school, its board of trustees, and the school's members, employees, and agents shall be entitled to the specific immunities provided for in this Chapter applying to the State Board of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction, a local board of education, a local school administrative unit, and their members and employees. Immunity established by this subsection shall be deemed to be waived to the extent of indemnification under Article 31A and Article 31B of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes and to the extent sovereign immunity is waived under the State Tort Claims Act, as set forth in Article 31 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes.
(e) Funding. - In addition to appropriations directed solely to the schools for the deaf and blind, the schools shall be eligible to (i) receive the benefit of any regional or statewide systems of support provided by the Department of Public Instruction to all public school units and (ii) apply for any grants available to all public school units. The schools for the deaf and blind shall not be eligible to receive funding allotments for local school administrative units unless otherwise directed by the General Assembly. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the Department of Public Instruction shall not remit money to the Pay Plan Reserve prior to distributing funds to the schools for any automatic step increases authorized by law. (2013-247, s. 2; 2016-126, 4th Ex. Sess., s. 16; 2023-10, s. 1; 2024-1, s. 2.8E(a); 2024-57, s. 3J.1(a).)