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May 5, 2026

SECTION I: OCS PRIORITY ITEMS

Upcoming OFP CCIP Formula Application Process Update-Substantial & Full Approval

We would like to share an early update regarding a change to the upcoming application process tentatively opening May 1^st (pending planning allotments).

Beginning this year, the Office of Federal Programs formula applications will include a two-step approval process within CCIP.

• Substantial Approval (May 1^st – June 30^th) – submission of assurances that will allow PSUs to begin obligating funds by July 1^st.
• Full Approval (opening July 1^st) – submission of the full application, including budget, at which point funding will become available upon approval.

This is a shift from prior years, and we wanted to provide an early heads up so PSUs can begin planning accordingly.  Achieving substantial approval by June 30^th will be important to ensure funds are available during the entire period of performance.  This will be a firm deadline, and extensions will not be granted for substantial approvals.  PSUs are still required to submit for substantial approval if the June 30^th deadline is missed; however, if it is not approved by June 30^th, the date the substantial application is fully approved through Division Administrator approval will serve as the official substantial approval date for fiscal audit purposes.

Additional support and resources will be provided soon to help walk through this updated process.

For reference, please review the attached presentation (Substantial Approval vs. Full Approval of Application).

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your assigned Program Administrator

Please see the attached memo, 2026–27 Accountability and Testing Training Requirements, from Dr. Michael Maher, Mr. Curtis Sonneman, Dr. Kinge Mbella, and Ms. Ashley Logue to all Charter School Directors.

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:

• Create and submit a new RI Plan for emergency closures, or

• 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.

• Remote Instruction Plan Worksheet:   2026-2027RIPlanWorksheet

• Remote Instruction Plan Submission Form:  2026-2027RIPlan

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 

Webinar: National Schools of Character: Panel Discussion

• Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership
• Haynes-Inman Educational Center
• North Shelby School
• Patriot STEM Elementary
• Union Academy

Updated School Attendance and Student Accounting (SASA) Manual

This is a MUST HAVE resource for all charter school administrators. 

2025 SASA Manual

SECTION II: SCHOOL BUSINESS UPDATES

April 30, 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.

Monthly Data Files Submission - All PSUs

This is a reminder that your April 2026 Monthly Financial Data Files (MFR, General Expense, Payroll Detail, and Payroll Summary) must be submitted to DPI by 11:59 PM on Monday, May 4, 2026.

DPI will begin processing data files at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.There must be someone available on-site Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and Wednesday, May 6, 2026, to answer any data files related questions that DPI may have.

Delayed responses pause the processing for ALL PSUs.

Governor’s Budget- Benefit Rates

The governor’s budget was released last week and included an increase in hospitalization and retirement. The proposed hospitalization rate for FY 2026-27 is $8,925 and the proposed retirement rate is 25.76%. We will continue to provide updates throughout the legislative session as we know more.

Prior Year Refunds Update - All PSUs

This week SBS processed all prior year refunds entered into the Cash App as of April 20th.The next processing date will be the week of May 18th.

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 has moved 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 "Prior Year Refund" menu in the Cash App. Please contact CashMgt@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions.

SBS Year End Updates - All PSUs

SBS has posted year end letters to our What's New page, which go through the FY 25-26 closeout process in June/July. We will be holding the following webinars in May to review this process, but please read the memo in its entirety. The webinars will be recorded for those that cannot attend.

• LEAs: Tuesday, May 12th from 2 - 3 pm
  • Password: ifJHKQmB253
• IPS: Thursday, May 14th from 11am- 12 pm
  • Password: 5sYVJeyEU47

Please work with your PSU's EDDIE administrators to make sure you have a primary and secondary datafile contact for your PSU entered into the system, as well as your PSU's contact for your datafile vendor (Linq, Sylogist, etc.). Make sure each contact has both a work phone number (including an extension, if applicable) and a cell phone number. Cell phone numbers will not be made public and will only be visible to DPI. Having a cell number on file is especially important if urgent contact is needed during the close‑out period.

Year-End DART Report

A new dashboard is now available in DART in the PSU section: "FIN101. Monthly Actions". It consolidates data from several existing reports to help PSUs more easily monitor five critical areas that may require attention as we approach year-end: invalid codes, over-expended PRCs, over-obligated PRCs, days used overages, and salary overpaid exceptions. The report shows the number of items (if any) that require attention in each category. Clicking the number of items in each category will pull up detailed reports needed to investigate further.

Allotments Update

FY2025-26 Allotments

The following items are scheduled for allotment by May 5, 2026

• State approvals as of April 17, 2026
• PRC 0063 Children with Disabilities - Special Funds
• PRC 0089 Children with Disabilities - Special State Reserve
• Federal approvals as of April 24, 2026
• PRC 0060 IDEA - Section 611 Grants to States
• PRC 0082 IDEA - Special Education State Improvement Grant
• PRC 0110 Title IV, Part B - 21st Century Community Learning Centers

FY2026-27 Federal Planning Allotments

Grant Year 2027 Federal Planning allotments will be added to the BAAS system starting the week of May 4^th. Status updates will be provided via newsletter or email blast as additional planning allotments are added. Once all planning allotments are finished, they will be posed on DART as well. 

Deadlines

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Reimbursement Opens May 4, 2026 – IPS Only

The third and final submission period for PPL reimbursement requests will close at midnight, Friday, May 15^th.

For additional information regarding the Paid Parental Leave reimbursement process, please see the 10/16/25 newsletter.

SBS Summer Conference Save the Date and Hotel Group Rate

Our annual summer conference will be Thursday, July 23, 2026. Please hold that date and be aware that it will be at the Embassy Suites in Cary, NC.

The discounted Room Block is open and will be available until July 1st, so please jump on those rates
and secure your room. Thank you for your continued participation in our conference! We will send out more
information in the coming weeks. 

From the Office of Federal Programs

Upcoming CCIP Formula Application Process Update: Substantial & Full Approval - All PSUs

We would like to share an early update regarding a change to the upcoming application process tentatively opening May 1st (pending planning allotments).

Beginning this year, the Office of Federal Programs formula applications will include a two-step approval process within CCIP.

• Substantial Approval (May 1st – June 30th) – submission of assurances that will allow PSUs to begin obligating funds by July 1st.
• Full Approval (opening July 1st) – submission of the full application, including budget, at which point funding will become available upon approval.

This is a shift from prior years, and we wanted to provide an early heads up so PSUs can begin planning accordingly. Achieving substantial approval by June 30th will be important to ensure funds are available during the entire period of performance. This will be a firm deadline, and extensions will not be granted for substantial approvals. PSUs are still required to submit for substantial approval if the June 30th deadline is missed; however, if it is not approved by June 30th, the date the substantial application is fully approved through Division Administrator approval will serve as the official substantial approval date for fiscal audit purposes.

Additional support and resources will be provided soon to help walk through this updated process.

For reference, please review the attached presentation (Substantial Approval vs. Full Approval of Application).

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your assigned OFP Consolidated Program Administrator.

SECTION III: RESOURCES + EVENTS

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

2026-2027 NCED Connect Opt-In Process

• The 2026-27 NCED Connect Opt-In process will open May 27, 2026 (annual process)
• The Opt-In deadline is tentatively set as July 31, 2026.
• Please visit the NCDPI NCED Connect Opt-In website for additional information.

• Jennifer Causey will contact you by email ahead of the opt-in window to collect your allotted ADM numbers by grade level. This information is required to finalize your Opt-In profile and complete the process once open.

• The rate will be $1.50 per ADM

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.

• Each PSU will nominate one distinguished ESL teacher
• Please create a link/URL of the portfolio (this link will be shared in the nomination form). It can be a google doc or pdf. Please be sure to adjust viewing permissions so that it can be accessed by the reviewers.
• If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact walter.moore@dpi.nc.gov. 

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

RISE 2026 Registration

Important DHHS Resources for Charter Schools

• Diabetes Memo
• Epinephrine Memo

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 In-Real-Time

North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) continues to expand access to our In-Real-Time (IRT) program, our synchronous instructional model designed to deliver live, whole-class middle school courses taught by certified North Carolina teachers.

IRT is an excellent solution for schools needing instructional support, particularly when a certified teacher isn’t available. Whether working alongside a substitute or supporting a new educator, our IRT teachers provide high-quality, real-time instruction to help ensure student success.

We will be hosting an informational webinar on May 14th at 11 a.m. and July 30 at 11 a.m. To attend, please register for one of the events here:

IRT Webinar May 14

IRT Webinar July 30

All districts and schools are invited to attend to learn more about the NCVPS IRT Program. 

SECTION IV: OCS + CHARTER HAPPENINGS

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

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.

• Brevard Academy - Multiple opportunities (3/10)
• Charlotte Lab School - School Director | Grade 9-12, SD | Grades 5-8, SD | Grades K-4 (5/5)
• Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville- 2nd grade Teacher and 4th grade Teacher (3/17)
• Classical Charter Schools of Southport- 2nd grade Teacher and 5th grade Teacher (3/17)
• Classical Charter Schools of Leland- History Teacher (3/17)
• Magellan Charter School- 7th Grade Science Teacher (4/21)
• Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy- Elementary AIG Teacher, MS ELA AIG Teacher (5/5) 
• Socrates Academy-Head of School (4/7)
• The Expedition School - Elementary Teachers 2026-27 School Year  (4/14)
• Two Rivers Community School - Director of Operations (3/24)
• Voyager Academy - Multiple opportunities  (4/28)

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.