Frequently Asked Conventional Non-Public School Questions – School Calendar/Schedule

Any suggestions for handling makeup days for weather-related school day closings?

Non-public schools are exempt from all laws governing public schools except for those relating to building code, sanitation and immunization requirements.  Non-public school laws mandate a school year of at least nine calendar months excluding reasonable holidays and vacations. 

No specific minimum number of days or number of hours per day are given.  They also do not address the issue of weather-related school closings and the makeup of them. 

DNPE suggests that, in most cases, school days missed because of weather-related closings be made up within the school year.  Most non-public schools build several adverse weather days into each school year's calendar. 

When those have already been utilized, Saturday sessions are permissible and sometimes advantageous during the months of January or February (and, if possible, at the end of the week in which school was closed earlier in that week because of weather problems). 

Other non-public schools prefer instead to add extra days at the end of the school year.  Always be certain whenever adverse weather creates a rescheduling problem, that the school year will still encompass a total bare minimum of 175 days. 

Also, see next question.

Does North Carolina non-public school law require that a conventional non-public school student be on the school's premises for a specific number of hours per day, week, month or year?

No.  G.S. 115C-548 and 556 require that the non-public school student regularly attend classes and that the non-public school itself shall operate ". . . on a regular schedule, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations, during at least nine calendar months of the year." 

However, there is no reference to a specific number of hours per day, week, month or year the school must require its students to be on its premises.  G.S. 115C-554 and 562 exempt non-public schools from any such public school laws. 

Also, see "How do North Carolina non-public schools deal with excessive student absence and tardiness issues?."

Why does DNPE recommend for conventional non-public schools a school term of at least 180 school days; typical school day lengths of at least 5 1/2 hours; and typical class periods for grade 9-12 students of 50 minutes each?

Since most non-public schools usually have some students who transfer back into the local public school system, be aware that the principal of your local public school is empowered by public school law to determine the acceptance or rejection of transfer credit from your non-public school into his/her public school. 

Non-public schools that do not meet or exceed the length of school year; the length of school day; and the grade 9-12 class period length requirements for North Carolina public schools may encounter problems in gaining transfer credit recognition for academic work completed by the student at the non-public school. 

To view the statutes addressing school calendars for the Public Schools of North Carolina, click here.