NC Education Code · Regulation
Title 16 — root / Chapter 06 — Chapter 06 (consolidated)
Plain English summary
This consolidated Chapter 06 regulation covers elementary and secondary education rules across several subchapters, including school calendar, student transportation, and personnel licensing. It establishes definitions for key terms, operational requirements for school bus safety and transportation programs, and the SBE's licensing authority over teacher education programs and professional public school employees. Several older rules have been repealed or expired, while newer rules effective January 1, 2025 and September 1, 2025 are now in force.
Key requirements
- Each local board of education shall adopt policies to assure the safe, orderly, and efficient operation of the public school transportation system under its jurisdiction and shall direct the local school administrative unit to adopt rules and regulations to implement those policies.
- The local school administrative unit shall post to its website a copy of all policies, rules, and regulations adopted in accordance with this Rule.
- Local school administrative units shall permit the Department of Public Instruction to evaluate their public school transportation programs, including the LSAU's supervisory and safety practices, and shall comply with DPI requests for access to vehicles, equipment, workspace, and information regarding those programs.
- LEAs shall provide instruction in school bus safety to all students during the first five days of each new school year and at least once during each semester thereafter.
- LEAs shall document the date on which training was provided to each student.
- LEAs shall not allow the number of passengers being transported to exceed the official rated capacity for the specific vehicle being used.
- LEAs shall ensure that all passengers are seated within the seating compartment, when any bus or other vehicle is in motion.
- LEAs shall ensure that no passenger is standing or sitting in the aisle or stepwell when any bus or other vehicle is in motion.
- LEAs shall require school bus drivers to utilize the North Carolina crossing signals described in Parts (a)(1)(A) and (B) of this Rule to communicate to students when it is safe to cross the street.
- LEAs shall provide safety instruction to students riding in activity buses or commercial buses, including instruction and demonstration of emergency exit operation for the specific vehicle in which they are riding.
- Local education agencies shall purchase school buses from the statewide term contracts approved by the Secretary of Administration under G.S. 143-49 and shall purchase school bus brake pads, brake shoes, and brake hardware that have the same specifications as the original equipment.
- Any person employed or contracted to serve as a school nurse in a North Carolina public school shall meet all qualifications established by the State Board of Education.
- A school nurse shall be licensed as a registered nurse under Chapter 90, Article 9A of the General Statutes and have at least two years of experience serving as a nurse in a hospital or health clinic, or be certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the National Board for Certification of School Nurses.
- The SBE shall consider for approval the teacher education programs of IHEs that belong to the SACS and that meet the requirements of Rule .0202 of this Subchapter.
- The SBE shall award licenses to individuals who desire to obtain employment as professional public school employees and who meet the requirements of Section .0300 of this Subchapter.
- The SBE shall base its approval on the requirements that are in effect at the time the IHE or the individual applies for approval.
Affected parties
- Local boards of education
- Local school administrative units (LSAUs)
- Local education agencies (LEAs)
- School bus drivers
- Students
- School nurses
- Professional public school employees
- Teachers
- School administrators
- Institutions of higher education (IHEs)
- Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
- State Board of Education (SBE)
- Charter schools
- Regional schools