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Some Upcoming Dates of Note
- April 15th- Understanding Transcripts for Charter Schools Info Session
- April 16th- OCS April 2026 Virtual Office Hours: National School Lunch Program
- April 22nd- IC Imagine Social Emotional Learning Showcase
- April 24th- New NC Charter School application window closes.
- June 30th- DLMI, DLPR, and Emergency Remote Instruction Plan due
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Understanding Transcripts for Charter Schools
Dear Charter School Leaders and Staff,
We invite you to join us for an in-person deep dive into navigating student transcripts, graduation plans, and GPA calculation within NCSIS.
Led by Dr. Rob Dietrich, this session is designed to provide direct guidance and clear answers to your technical and process-related questions.
Event Details
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Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
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Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
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Location: TMSA Triad Secondary School, 700 Creek Ridge Road, Greensboro, NC 27406
Target Audience
This session is highly recommended for High School Counselors, Administrators, Data Managers, SIS Coordinators, and C&I Staff.
Registration
Space is limited. Please reserve your spot via Eventbrite at your earliest convenience.
We look forward to seeing your team there and ensuring a smooth transition for your student records.
Emergency Remote Instruction Plans (RIP)
Charter Schools that plan to use remote instruction during emergency closures must annually submit an Emergency Remote Instruction (RI) Plan to NC DPI. §S.L. 2022-74/HB 103 authorizes the use of Remote Instruction for emergency closures under §S.L. 115C-84.3(b).
By June 30, 2026, please complete one of the following actions for the 2026–2027 school year:
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Create and submit a new RI Plan for emergency closures, or
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Indicate that your PSU will not complete an RI Plan.
This year, Charter Schools must choose one of these options. The option to “Utilize the current plan “ is not available this year.
Please note that RI Plans cannot be accepted after the deadline.
We encourage PSUs to complete the RI Plan Worksheet first and then submit the plan in Qualtrics.
Please reach out to your Regional Consultant for Digital Teaching & School Connectivity regarding any questions. Please share with your Charter School’s leadership if you are not the person who submits this RIP.
Northeast Region - Meredith Ward Hill, meredith.hill@dpi.nc.gov
Southeast Region - Lauren Boucher, lauren.boucher@dpi.nc.gov
North Central Region - Jennifer Graham, jennifer.graham@dpi.nc.gov
Sandhills Region - Jill Darrough, jill.darrough@dpi.nc.gov
Piedmont-Triad Region - Brian Whitson, brian.whitson@dpi.nc.gov
Southwest Region - Lindsey Sipe, lindsey.sipe@dpi.nc.gov
Northwest Region - Jordan Caldwell, jordan.caldwell@dpi.nc.gov
Western Region - Stacy Lovdahl, stacy.lovdahl@dpi.nc.gov
Please see the linked update from Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley regarding the School Safety Grants. If you have questions, please send an email to SchoolSafetyGrants@cfssnc.gov. Thank you for all you do to help keep our schools safer. 
OCS April 2026 Virtual Office Hours: National School Lunch Program
Join us for our April Virtual Office Hour, featuring a presentation on the National School Lunch Program with introductory information and updates. There will also be time for a Q&A session to address any outstanding questions.
April 16th at 10am
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ML/Title III PD Survey Window Open Now Through May 15th
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) ML/Title III and Office of Federal Program teams are responsible for collecting specific data from Public School Units (PSUs) and reporting it to the U.S. Department of Education, the NC State Board of Education, and NCDPI leadership. To streamline this process, NCDPI has combined these data collections into a single survey. All PSUs serving one or more students identified as English Learners must complete this survey by May 15th, 2026.
The survey is housed in Qualtrics for easy access. You can now complete all survey questions directly in Qualtrics. To help you prepare, the ML/Title III Team has created a comprehensive worksheet with step-by-step instructions. We strongly recommend completing this worksheet before accessing the survey in Qualtrics to ensure a smoother and more efficient experience. The link to the survey is in the instruction document. If you have any questions, please reach out to marshall.foster@dpi.nc.gov or susan.walz@dpi.nc.gov.
New NC Charter School application window closes April 24th.
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
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March 26, 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.
Prior Year Refunds Update and Webinars - All PSUs
Thank you to everyone who attended one of the webinars this week. We have posted the recording and the slides to our What's New page for those that could not attend.
As a reminder, effective in mid-April the process for returning prior year State funds for overspent PRCs, overspent months used, overspent salaries, and penalties will be moving to the Cash App. In order to facilitate a clean transition into the new process, they are no longer available on the Refunds and Repayments Droplet form and SBS will no longer accept manual checks for these refund types. Only checks for previously submitted droplet forms will be accepted. PSUs should continue to use the form and manual checks to return TD-19, IDEA Maintenance of Effort, Questioned Costs, and Sales Tax funds.
LEAs can view their prior year overspent State funds and penalties using the "701. State Overdraft Refunds and Repayments" report on SBSDART until the report is moved to the Cash App.
Please contact CashMgt@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions.
Allotments Update
FY2025-26 Allotments - PSUs
The following items are scheduled for allotment by March 30, 2026
- PRC 0014 – Career Technical Education: Program Support - Adobe License Reductions per CTE Office
- State Approvals as of March 23, 2026
- PRC 0063 - Children with Disabilities: Special Funds
- PRC 0089 - Children with Disabilities - Special State Reserve
- Federal Approvals as of March 23, 2026
- PRC 0060 - IDEA - Section 611 Grants to States
- PRC 0082 - IDEA - Special Education State Improvement Grant
- PRC 0111 - ESEA Title II, Part A - Supporting Effective Instruction
- PRC 0114 - IDEA - Children with Disabilities - Risk Pool
Deadlines
The next batch of ABC transfers will close at midnight, Friday April 17th. Email-submitted transfer and conversion requests received by end of day Monday the 20th will be allotted by April 22nd.
If you have general allotment questions, please email allotments@dpi.nc.gov.
Payroll Summary File Schedule
DPI is now receiving Payroll Summary Files from vendors on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesdays of each month by close of business, in addition to the end of month submission. We should have LicSal loaded by 12:00 PM the following Wednesday.
Upcoming Cash Deadlines - All PSUs
April 3, 2026 is a State holiday but not a Federal bank holiday; therefore, the state and federal cash that is requested by Monday, March 30, 2026, no later than 11:45 PM, will be processed with a FRD of April 3, 2026.
If you have any questions regarding this schedule, please contact CashMgt@dpi.nc.gov.
Indirect Cost Edit for Federal PRCs - All PSUs
Subagreements for services (which includes all contracted services) are indicated when a part or all of an instructional or support activity for which the PSU is responsible is conducted by a third party, rather than by the PSU.
Federal cost principles require that subagreements be excluded from the indirect cost rate calculation and from eligible program costs on which indirect costs are charged. The rationale for this is to prevent indirect costs from being charged twice against the same program expenditures, once by the original grant recipient and again by the subrecipient.
If you have any questions regarding the indirect cost edit, please contact schoolfinancialreporting@dpi.nc.gov.
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.
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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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11/21/2026
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04/01/2026
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Required School Calendar Reporting
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03/06/2026
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04/17/2026
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ABC Transfers
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03/20/2026
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04/20/2026
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Real Property Survey
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3/20/2026
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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
2026 ELA Standard Course of Study Initial Statewide Implementation Session Registration Open
Registration Closes May 15, 2026
During Summer 2026, the NCDPI K-12 ELA Team will provide in-person professional development on the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study (SCOS) in all 8 State Board of Education regions. PSUs are invited to register for a full-day initial statewide implementation session introducing the 2026 English Language Arts K-12 Standard Course of Study. The promo flyer reiterates the following information and provides another way to access the registration link.
Please note: Only one registration form is needed per PSU, and ELA Leaders are encouraged to coordinate with district and school leadership to select appropriate attendees before completing the form.
Purpose
With a team from your PSU, join us for a one-day professional development--specifically targeted to ELA Leaders--to learn more about the new 2026 ELA SCOS which is scheduled for implementation in the 27-28 school year. Topics covered will include
- Standards basics and a high-level review of the newly adopted ELA SCOS
- Resource exploration including unpacking documents, glossary, crosswalk, and vertical progression
- Support for local messaging and communications
- Implementation guidance for planning and considering next steps
Audience
Each PSU may register up to four team members to attend this training. ELS’s will receive a separate training opportunity, so please do not include this individual on your team. Suggested representatives include
- PSU ELA Leaders (e.g., district/school admin, district/school coach)
- K-5 Teacher Leader that will support local implementation
- 6-12 Teacher Leader that will support local implementation
Dates and Locations
Training will be offered in all 8 regions of the state. Dates and host cities are provided below. Specific venue information and session times will be emailed to participants upon registration confirmation.
- Sandhills - June 16, 2026 - Fayetteville, NC
- North Central - June 17, 2026 - Durham, NC
- Southwest - June 23, 2026 - Kannapolis, NC
- West - June 25, 2026 - Asheville, NC
- Northwest - June 30, 2026 - Morganton, NC
- Northeast - July 9, 2026 - Washington, NC
- Piedmont-Triad - July 14, 2026 - Greensboro, NC
- Southeast - July 16, 2026 - Wilmington, NC
Please note: Registration confirmation emails for this PD will include details about directions, room locations, session times, and any necessary preparation. Charter school training will be done virtually at a later date, but charter school teams are welcome to come to any of the regional in-person dates listed above.
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
ML Summer Conference Keynote!
We are excited to announce that Margo Gottlieb will serve as the keynote speaker for the in-person 2026 Standards Academy and Growing Success for Multilingual Learners Summer Conference.
Keynote Highlight: In her keynote session, Dr. Gottlieb will explore how collaborative assessment can serve as a natural extension of instruction. She will share practical strategies for using everyday classroom interactions as opportunities to observe and assess language development while supporting meaningful learning. Participants will also consider how to rethink classroom assessment so that it becomes seamlessly embedded within high-quality instruction.
Join us! Don't miss this outstanding professional development experience!
What Makes This Special? Dual Conference Access – Attend sessions from both conferences at one location, at no cost. Consider bringing a team to maximize learning and collaboration.
Flexible Attendance Options – Choose from the in-person locations or attend virtually to fit your schedule and preferences.
Expert-Led Sessions – Engage with best practices, collaboration strategies, and proven methods for elevating multilingual learner success.
Professional Networking – Connect with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional relationships.
- In Person June 23rd - 25th
Johnston County
Cleveland High School
1892 Polenta Road, Clayton NC 27520
- Virtual Summer Conference Sessions
July 13th - 16th
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.
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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 Offers Expanded Summer Learning Solutions for 2026
As districts and charter schools finalize summer programming, the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) stands ready to help schools expand student opportunities. With a catalog of over 90 online courses, NCVPS provides a flexible solution for students aiming to stay on track for graduation or accelerate their progress before the next academic year.
Student Opportunities
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Comprehensive Curriculum: Full-credit options are available in all core subjects, World Languages, CTE, Health and PE, the Arts, and various electives.
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Flexible Advancement: Students can earn credits during the summer break, easing their course loads for the fall.
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Expert Instruction: All courses are taught by NC-licensed teachers who provide direct instruction, monitor student progress, and deliver regular feedback.
District and Charter School Support
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Operational Efficiency: Schools can provide a wide range of courses without the need for additional local staffing or facility management.
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Asynchronous Flexibility: Fully asynchronous coursework eliminates scheduling conflicts, making it an ideal fit for diverse student needs.
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Streamlined Coordination: NCVPS offers clear progress monitoring and simplified enrollment, allowing school staff to easily track student outcomes and support on-time graduation.
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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The very first NC charter schools were honored at the NCAPCS Pearl Gala.
Arapahoe Charter School
Carter G. Woodson
Chatham Charter
CIS Academy
Durham Charter School
Eno River Academy
Francine Delany New School for Children
Magellan Charter
Maureen Joy Charter School
Quality Education Academy
Rocky Mount Charter School
Sallie B. Howard School of Arts and Science
Sterling Montessori Academy
Summit Charter
The Academy of Moore County
The Exploris School
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.
On April 10th, at 1pm, Voyager Academy in Durham will be hosting a Recruiting Fair for anyone who is interested in joining their team.
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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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