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Some Upcoming Dates of Note
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REQUIRED (due April 1) SIS Calendar Inputs
Charter Schools are exempt from legislated requirements for school start and end dates. All schools of any type are required by law to enter the following school calendar information in the SIS by April 1. The information will be pulled directly from the SIS on April 2—there’s no need to submit it separately.
- 2026-2027 Instructional Start and End Dates (Required)
Please enter your school's instructional start and end dates for the 2026-27 school year into the SIS by April 1. All NC public schools, regardless of type, must provide a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months.
- 2026-2027 School Month Setup (PMR Reporting Intervals) (Required)
Please enter your school’s PMR Reporting intervals into the SIS by April 1. School Months 1 and 2 must be exactly 20 instructional days each. The remaining intervals (School Months 3-9) should be between 16 and 26 days each.
- 2026-27 Start and Release Times (Required)
Please enter your school’s start and release time into the SIS by April 1. “Start time” is the time of day when academic classes begin for the majority of students enrolled in the school, and “release time” is the time of day when academic classes end for the majority of students enrolled in the school. This information is pulled directly from the SIS.
Update on Threat Assessment Reporting Requirements
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is providing an update on the new threat assessment reporting requirements issued by the Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) in December 2025.
As we shared on Friday, February 27, CFSS has extended the reporting deadline for assessments completed before December 3, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
CFSS confirmed this extension in a March 4 letter, which also included updated information and guidance on completing behavioral threat assessment and management incident reports.
DPI is reviewing the new guidance and will follow up with PSU leaders once the review is complete.
OCS April 2026 Virtual Office Hours: National School Lunch Program
Agenda: Join us for April Virtual Office Hours, with presentations from the National School Lunch Program for initial information and updates regarding this program. This will also afford schools a Q & A session for pending questions. April 16th at 10am
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New NC Charter School application window is now open.
The 2026 NC Charter School Application window opened on January 30th at 5 PM (EST) and will close on April 24, 2026, at 5 PM (EST). Applicants looking to open a charter school in 2027 (accelerated) or 2028 (standard) must submit their application and $1,000 fee by the deadline.
In-person interviews for applicant boards with the NC Charter School Review Board will take place at the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, NC, starting in September 2026. The application link is posted on the NCDPI Charter Schools Application page. For questions, please contact Melanie.Rackley@dpi.nc.gov.
Updated School Attendance and Student Accounting (SASA) Manual
This is a MUST HAVE resource for all charter school administrators.
2025 SASA Manual
Coalition 2026 Charter Advocacy Summit
Please join the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools for our 2026 Charter Advocacy Summit, taking place in Raleigh on March 24-25, 2026. This year's Summit theme is "From Policy to Possibility: Navigating the New Charter Landscape."
2026 Summit information:
Charter schools face a new policy landscape in North Carolina, and we’re here to help you navigate it! Join other charter leaders, industry experts, and policymakers for the Coalition’s fourth annual Charter Advocacy Summit. We’ll bring the experts directly to you, helping you position your school for continued success!
Evening Kick-off Reception
5:30 to 7:30 PM, Tuesday, March 24, 2026
2026 Charter Advocacy Summit
8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Event Venue
Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel – Raleigh, North Carolina
View the official 2026 Summit invitation here with details about speakers, registration rates, and hotel. Last year's Summit sold out, so don't wait to register!
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March 13, 2026
The FBS website continues to be updated with information related to School Business and our ongoing operations. Please check the FBS homepage regularly for updates. Please review the upcoming deadlines for due dates.
Allotments Update
FY2025-26 Allotments - All PSUs
The following items are scheduled for allotment by March 16, 2026:
- Federal Approvals as of March 6, 2026
- PRC 0110 - Title IV, Part B - 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- PRC 0111 - ESEA Title III, Part A - English Language Acquisition Significant Increase
Planning Allotments
Planning allotments represent the floor of funding that DPI will be able to provide for initial allotments in July 2026 if there is no state budget passed by that time. An FAQ about these planning allotments has been posted on our What’s New page. Federal planning allotments will follow later this spring.
Thank you to everyone who attended one of this week's webinars on planning allotments. The recordings and slide decks have been posted to our website for those that could not attend.
Low Wealth Calculator
The Low Wealth Calculator is now updated to include Fiscal Year 26-27 Planning Allotments. Additional explanations regarding how formulas have been calculated have also been added. The calculator is located on the public reports section of SBS DART.
Deadlines
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Reimbursement Opened March 2, 2026 – IPS Only
The second submission period for PPL reimbursement requests will close end of day Friday, March 13th. The next and final submission period of the fiscal year will open Monday, May 4th, 2026.
For additional information regarding the Paid Parental Leave reimbursement process, please see the 10/16/25 newsletter.
Required 2026-27 School Calendar Reporting - All PSUs
Please share the information below about legislated school calendar information with your SIS coordinator.
The following school calendar information must be entered in the SIS by April 1, even if your school is exempt from start/end date requirements. The information will be pulled directly from the SIS on April 2—there’s no need to submit it separately.
2026-2027 Instructional Start and End Dates (Required)
Please enter the school's instructional start and end dates for the 2026-27 school year as approved by your local board into the SIS by April 1. All NC public schools, regardless of type, must provide a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months. Most PSUs are required to comply with calendar start/end date requirements. Unless the PSU is in an exempt category (SASA, p.54) or has received an approved calendar waiver for the 2026-27 school year, the start date should be no earlier than August 24, 2026 and the end date should be no later than June 11, 2027.
2026-2027 School Month Setup (PMR Reporting Intervals) (Required)
Please enter your school’s PMR Reporting intervals into the SIS by April 1. School Months 1 and 2 must be exactly 20 instructional days each. The remaining intervals (School Months 3-9) should be between 16 and 26 days each.
2026-2027 Start and Release Times (Required)
Please enter your school’s start and release time into the SIS by April 1. “Start time” is the time of day when academic classes begin for the majority of students enrolled in the school, and “release time” is the time of day when academic classes end for the majority of students enrolled in the school. This information is pulled directly from the SIS.
Deadline Reminders
ALL PSUs
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DUE DATE
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TOPIC
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NEWSLETTER
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Monday at 11:45 pm
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Cash Requests for Friday FRD
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11/21/2024
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03/13/2026
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ABC Transfers
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02/19/2026
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IPS ONLY
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DUE DATE
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TOPIC
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NEWSLETTER
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03/12/2026
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Annual Enrollment Projection
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02/27/2026
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03/13/2026
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Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Reimbursement Requests
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10/16/2025
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CTE has contracted with Pam Taylor to serve as CTE Regional Coordinator for Charter Schools. Any Charter questions on CTE can be directed to her.
Her email is Pam.Taylor@dpi.nc.gov
3rd Annual English Language Development Recognition Award
Recognizing ML Teachers of Excellence!
The nomination process for the 2025-26 ELD Recognition Award is now open! If you would like to nominate an ESL/ML teacher of excellence, please contact the ML leadership team and let them know. The nominee will submit a portfolio highlighting their initiatives and contributions. The nomination process will close on May 17. If you have any questions, please reach out to walter.moore@dpi.nc.gov or marshall.foster@dpi.nc.gov. Or, drop in during our office hours, Thursdays at 10:30. -
One Conference Site - Two Amazing Opportunities
Join NCDPI Office of Teaching and Learning for the Standards Academy and the Growing Success for MLs summer conferences. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school leader, or district support staff, these conferences offer powerful opportunities to deepen your expertise, collaborate with colleagues, and prepare for a successful school year.
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Effective Content Instruction for ML Students in Reading and Listening
Turn reading and listening into exciting adventures for your multilingual learners! Join us for a lively professional development session where you’ll discover creative, research-backed strategies to boost ML students’ skills while diving deep into meaningful content. Unlock the secrets to blending explicit language instruction with engaging, content-rich activities that make reading and listening come alive.
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 8, 3:30-5:00 pm
Information NCCTM Outstanding K-5 Math Teacher
It is that time of the year to nominate an Outstanding Math Teacher from your school! This year, you will recognize a mathematics teacher from grades K to 5.
Please read this Memo to Charter Schools concerning the Recognition of Outstanding Mathematics Teachers from Kristi Day, the Director of the Office of Teaching and Learning. The memo contains further information about the partnership between the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) to recognize great math teachers.
The memo also contains the link to nominate a K-5 teacher from your school to receive this award. This form should be completed by the teacher you are nominating.
If chosen, the teacher will receive:
Recognition at the awards ceremony during the NCCTM State Math Conference on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Winston-Salem,
One-year free membership to NCCTM, and
Will have their names published on NCCTM website and publication, the Centroid.
The deadline for submission is June 5, 2026.
Please contact Jennifer Parker (jennifer.parker@dpi.nc.gov), K-5 Math Consultant, with any questions.
School Safety Grants Update
School Resource Officer Year 2 awards have been issued. If you received funding for the 2024-2025 fiscal year for SROs, then you received the Year 2 award via paper check or electronic deposit. This is designated for the hiring and training of SROs for middle and elementary schools.
The School Safety Grant carry-forward money has also been issued but was mislabeled on the check as SRO grant funding. This funding is available for use until June 2027. Please keep in mind that there is not a School Safety Grant application open at this time.
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CFSS Training Calendar
Updated Computer Science Course Lists for SY26-27
Pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(9d), the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has published updated Computer Science Middle School Elective Offering and High School Graduation Requirement course lists. The updated high school course list adds ten new course options, and the updated middle school course list adds three new middle school elective options along with four additional high school courses that can be taught in middle school. Completion of any course identified on the approved High School Courses Eligible for Middle School list will satisfy both the CS middle school course elective offering and high school graduation requirement.
Pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(9d), Local Implementation Delay Waiver Requests were available only for 2024–2025 and 2025–2026; no waivers are permitted for full implementation beginning in 2026–2027.
Link: NCDPI Computer Science Graduation Requirement
Spring 2026 Medicaid in Education [MiE] Cohort
Developing efficient, effective Medicaid cost recovery programs requires foundational knowledge and collaborative effort. These cohorts will support PSU efforts to develop or improve their Medicaid cost recovery efforts. Best results are achieved when a full PSU team participates! Recognizing we all have competing priorities, PSU teams can ensure all content is received, adapted, and applied to local circumstances, procedures, and organizational structure.
This flexible, inclusive, virtual cohort will complete the on-demand Medicaid in Education course with a focus on FFS; however, all Medicaid programs are covered.
Participants will:
- Complete the assigned module and profile rating
- Meet virtually to clarify concepts, answer questions, and
- Collaborate for implementation, establishing PSU practices, and procedures
The Spring 2026 Medicaid in Education [MiE] Cohort will run from March 24th through May 7th on Thursday afternoons.
- 'Just Getting Started in Medicaid' sessions will be offered on March 24th or 26th.
- MiE Cohort orientation sessions will be provided March 31st or April 2nd. Please follow this link to the schedule for the Spring 2026 Cohort
- All (individuals, dyads, small groups) are welcome to participate in MiE cohorts but most effective change occurs with collaborative teams and full PSU Medicaid teams are strongly encouraged
- Suggested PSU (district or charter) team members:
- EC Administrators- Directors, Coordinators
- School Business or Finance officers
- Administrators who will be a point of contact the Medicaid program (central office, finance, EC)
- Related service providers
- Personnel involved with MAC or RMTS
- Any interested parties or personnel assigned to Medicaid program management
- Participants can and should vary from module to module, the schedule includes suggested team participants for each meeting
- Time will be allocated for questions and implementation work
You/Your PSU (district, state, or charter school) team can register here- https://go.ncdpi.gov/Spring26MiECohort for:
- Just Getting Started in Medicaid sessions
- MiE Spring26 Cohort
- Both or
- Indicate need for follow up technical assistance for Medicaid cost recovery
If you have any questions or would like to set up time with me for your PSU, team, or personnel, give me a call at 919) 636-1827.
Thank you for your interest!
Wishing you a peaceful and healthy 2026,
Laurie Ray
Consultant for Physical Therapy & Medicaid
Supporting Teaching and Related Services
Office of Exceptional Children
NC Department of Public Instruction
M: (919) 636-1827
laurie.ray@dpi.nc.gov
RISE 2026 Registration
Registration is now open for the 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit! The Center for Safer Schools' largest event will be held from Tuesday, August 4 to Thursday, August 6 at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, N.C.
Join us for sessions including bullying prevention, suicide prevention, critical incidents and threat assessment. We will use the Whova app for scheduling and to engage with attendees leading up to RISE.
Check the Center for Safer Schools newsletter and social media for more details over the coming months. If you have questions, send an email to CFSS@cfssnc.gov. 
Important DHHS Resources for Charter Schools
Please click on each link and read thoroughly.
Other Resources from DPI and beyond
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Share excellence in education!
Post exceptional student work or exciting happenings at your NC Charter School. Then tag or mention OCS on Social Media for others to see!
Remember when you share on social media to use #WeAreNCCharters or @NCCharterOffice
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Fresh Take Education Conference
📅 March 20, 2026 at the Community School of Davidson
💙 Join us for a day of rejuvenation, recalibration, and refreshment designed to inspire and empower educators.
🎤 Keynote Speaker: Jimmy Casas
📖 Award-winning author and educator Jimmy Casas guides educators to examine their behaviors and take responsibility for improving the culture at classroom, building, and district levels.
✨ Early bird registration ends February 13th
⭐️Register now and secure your spot!
We would like to cordially invite you to a special opportunity on our campus here at IC Imagine.
Please join us for IC Imagine's first Social Emotional Learning Showcase on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 8:30-11:30 to learn how social emotional learning takes flight at IC Imagine!
Experience evidence-based approaches that support our K-12th grade students’ social-emotional growth and leave with a deeper understanding of how these critical skills impact our school climate, culture, and students’ future ready development!
Showcase Overview:
Please register here by April 15, 2026, to ensure your spot!
Please reach out to Amanda Bell, MTSS Behavioral Health Coordinator, at amandabell@icimagine.org , with any questions.
Our Kingfisher Community is eager to welcome you!
Charter School Job Postings
Job postings will include the posted date and will be deleted after two months. Schools may request early removal or extension. Contact Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov with a posting link.
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Construction Careers Scholarships for High School Seniors
The NC Home Builders Educational & Charitable Foundation offers scholarship opportunities for students pursuing a career in construction.
The Workforce Development Regional Scholarship program awards scholarships as much as $1,000 to high school students planning to attend a community college/technical school and study a career in anything related to residential construction. Examples are: construction, carpentry, HVAC, Electrical, etc. . Rising junior and senior students at a four-year university are eligible for a number of scholarships through the foundation.
Deadline is March 30, 2026.
Tracie Garrett, CEM, CMP
Director of Special Events and Charitable Foundation
Sign Up for NCDPI Newsletters
Did you know NCDPI produces a variety of newsletters on various topics across North Carolina K-12 education? Whether you’re looking for news on school counseling, digital teaching & learning resources, middle school science or K-12 education legislation updates, there is something for everyone.
A few examples of subscription offerings are:
- K-12 Education Legislative Update
- News Releases
- Digital Accessibility Newsletter
- Exceptional Children Information for Parents
Click here and enter your email address to see all the subscription lists and newsletters available to receive
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NOTE- To sign up for the Office of Federal Programs listserv, please contact your assigned Consolidated Program Administrator. Contacts can be found by clicking this link and selecting your region at the bottom of the page.
NCVPS Supporting North Carolina’s Computer Science Graduation Requirement
As North Carolina schools prepare to meet the state’s new computer science graduation requirement, many PSUs are facing a common challenge: finding qualified teachers and building course capacity.
North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is helping PSUs meet this need by offering high-quality computer science courses that students can take virtually while remaining enrolled in their local school. Our courses are taught by experienced teachers and aligned to state standards, providing districts with a reliable option as they plan for implementation.
Current NCVPS Computer Science Courses
CP10 – Python Programming I Honors
2A02 – AP Computer Science A
0A02 – AP Computer Science Principles
CS31 – SAS Base Programming Honors
Expanding the Catalog
NCVPS is continuing to grow our computer science offerings to support PSUs across the state. Upcoming additions include:
CS30 – Introduction to Data Science (new high school and middle school courses launching for Fall 2026)
CS10 Introduction to Computer Science (new high school and middle school courses launching for Fall 2026)
CA10 – Artificial Intelligence (new high school and middle school courses anticipated Spring 2027)
As PSUs work to meet the new graduation requirement, NCVPS remains committed to expanding access to computer science education and supporting schools that need flexible, scalable solutions. View our courses at: ncvps.org/catalogs. |
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Ashley Logue • Director, Office of Charter Schools
Please send general inquires to ocs@dpi.nc.gov
Contact information for area specialists can be found on the Office of Charter Schools Directory.
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