Parents’ Bill of Rights
Senate Bill 49 (Session Law 2023-106), generally known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, became law on August 16, 2023. Additional resources will be added to this site and shared with all stakeholders as they are available.
Parents’ Rights for Their Child’s Education
Under State law (S.L. 2023-106), parents are allowed to exercise the following rights with regards to their child’s education:
Right #1: The right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with G.S. 115C-81.30.
Parents have the right to withhold consent for their children to participate in all or part of a reproductive health and safety program or other program about sexually transmitted diseases or avoiding out-of-wedlock pregnancy. If you wish for your child to opt-out from participating in all or part of any such program, contact the principal and identify the portion(s) of the program for which you are withdrawing consent.
Right #2: The right to seek a medical or religious exemption from immunization requirements, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 130A-156 and G.S. 130A-157.
A parent's right to request an exemption to a required immunization is governed by G.S. 130A-156 (for medical exemptions) and G.S. 130A-157 (religious exemption). See information about state immunization requirements for all North Carolina public school students. Information about medical and religious exemptions can be found on the NC Department of Health and Human Services website.
Only medical and religious exemptions will be provided. There is no right to opt out of school immunizations required by state law based on non-religious personal or philosophical beliefs. Parents seeking a medical exemption from immunization requirements should have a physician licensed to practice in North Carolina complete the required Medical Exemption Form for submission to the State Health Director. Parents seeking a religious exemption should provide a written statement to the school principal, including the name and date of birth of the student(s), the specific immunization(s) for which an exemption is requested, and any other relevant information.
Right #3: The right to review statewide standardized assessment results as part of the State report card.
This information is accessible by visiting the North Carolina School Report Cards website.
Right #4: The right to request an evaluation of their child for an academically or intellectually gifted program, or for identification as a child with a disability.
Contact the Exceptional Children staff to inquire about evaluations.
Right #5: The right to inspect and purchase public school unit textbooks and other supplementary instructional materials.
Contact the school administration to request to inspect or purchase textbooks and other instructional materials. In some cases, the school may be able to provide parents with paper or electronic copies of certain supplemental instructional materials to inspect at home. In other cases (as with most copyrighted materials), materials will be made available for in-person inspection only.
Right #6: The right to access information relating to the Board's policies for promotion or retention, including high school graduation requirements.
Information about the Board’s promotion and retention procedures is available in Board Policy 303.8. Promotion, Retention, and Graduation.
Right #7: The right to receive student report cards on a regular basis that clearly depict and grade the student's academic performance in each class or course, the student's conduct, and the student's attendance.
Report cards reflecting grades and attendance are issued every quarter. Review the school calendar for the dates when each quarter ends. Parents may access their children's grade and attendance information by logging into the Campus Parent portal of Infinite Campus. Contact the school data manager for login questions. Contact the principal for a copy of your child's disciplinary records.
Right #8: The right to access information relating to the State public education system, State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements.
The State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction have posted extensive information relating to the State public education system on their websites, including but not limited to policies and information related to State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements. Another example is the Standard Course of Study that all public schools must follow. The general statutes governing elementary and secondary education in North Carolina may be accessed through the General Assembly website.
Right #9: The right to participate in parent-teacher organizations.
Parent-teacher organizations are independent entities that work with schools but are not under the direct management or supervision of the school. Parents are encouraged to find ways to contribute to the school through volunteerism.
Right #10: The right to opt in to certain data collection for their child.
See Right #11, below.
Right #11: The right for students to participate in protected student information surveys only with parental consent.
Students under age 18 who have not been legally emancipated may not be given any survey that asks about "protected information" unless their parents have first provided written or electronic consent.
A "protected information" survey is one that asks about one or more of the following:
- political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parent
- mental or psychological problems of the student or the student's family
- sex behavior or attitudes
- illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior
- critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships
- legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers
- religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent
- income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program)
At least ten days before the administration of a protected topic survey, parents and eligible students (students who are 18 years of age or older or who are emancipated minors) will be provided the opportunity to review both electronically and in person the process for providing consent to participate in the protected topic survey and the full text of the protected topic survey.
Additionally, students in kindergarten through grade three may not be given any "student well-being questionnaire" or "health screening form" without prior parental consent. The school must notify parents in advance before any such questionnaire or form is shared with students in these grades, along with an explanation of how the parent may give or withhold consent.
Right #12: The right to review all available records of materials their child has borrowed from a school library.
Central Carolina Academy does not have a library.
Parent’s Guide to Student Achievement
It is the goal of Central Carolina Academy to provide parents and guardians of students access to information pertaining to student achievement through the Parent's Guide to Student Achievement (PGSA).