School districts breaking rarely enforced state law
We have liftoff! a sixth grader in Mr. Caskey's science class at C.C. griffin STEM Middle school launches a foil ball toward its target.
Sixth graders in Mr. Caskey's science class at C.C. griffin STEM Middle school put their design skills to the test last week. students worked together to build launchers to see if they could send an aluminum foil ball six feet across the floor and into a plastic tub.
Early in the morning, students already are showing up with backpacks strapped on their shoulders for their first week of school while others are still sleeping in.
Eleven public school districts in the Charlotte area are starting earlier than state law allows. According to North Carolina law, schools are required to begin no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26. That's Aug. 24 this year. State law also requires schools to close no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
The law sets exceptions for certain schools and academies, including year-round schools, cooperative innovative/early college schools and qualifying districts that have a good-cause calendar waiver. And cases of enforcement against districts for starting early are rare to nonexistent.
The 2026-2027 State Board of Education report presented to the North Carolina General Assembly shows institutions beginning their school year early this fall. Area districts include:
■„ „ Cabarrus County Schools, 35 violating schools that started Aug. 12
■„ „ Gaston County Schools, 44 violating schools that started Aug. 12
■„ „ Iredell-Statesville Schools, 29 violating schools that started Aug. 12
■„ „ Cleveland County Schools, 24 violating schools that started Aug. 12
■„ „ Lincoln County Schools, 23 violating schools that started Aug. 13
„■„ Stanly County Schools, 21 violating schools that started Aug. 12
„■„ Kannapolis City Schools, 9 violating schools that started Aug. 12
■„ „ Mooresville Graded School District, 9 violating schools starting Aug. 5
These early starts are the latest in a trend of school boards across North Carolina challenging the state's calendar restrictions in recent years, including Carteret County Schools being forced to change their first day of school in 2024 after three local businesses sued the district for harming the tourism industry.
Charlotte Mecklenburg schools, the region's largest district, isn't among the districts in the area that plans to open their doors early. However, CMS does have schools that opened earlier in the fall that were under the exceptions to the state calendar law.
Those schools are:
■„ „ Cato Middle College High School
■„ „ Central Piedmont Early College
„■„ Harper Middle College High
■„ „ Levine Middle College High
„■„ Marcancas Middle College
■„ „ Charlotte Engineering Early College
■„ Charlotte Teacher Early College
