Rep. Bruce Goforth (D-Buncombe) may claim that our state constitution mandates that there be 1,000 hours or 180 days of instruction, but the constitution says otherwise.
From Article IX, Section 2:
The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.
Instead, the NC General Statutes establish the 180 day, 1,000 hours of instruction rule.
From G.S. ?115C‑84.2.(a)(1):
A minimum of 180 days and 1,000 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months. The local board shall designate when the 180 instructional days shall occur. The number of instructional hours in an instructional day may vary according to local board policy and does not have to be uniform among the schools in the administrative unit. Local boards may approve school improvement plans that include days with varying amounts of instructional time. If school is closed early due to inclement weather, the day and the scheduled amount of instructional hours may count towards the required minimum to the extent allowed by State Board policy. The school calendar shall include a plan for making up days and instructional hours missed when schools are not opened due to inclement weather.
