🚨 FACTS: Johnston County’s Modified Calendar is LEGAL and NECESSARY! 🚨

4 people on The Johnston County School Board made the right choice for our students and community by adopting the modified calendar. Let’s clear up the misinformation:

1️⃣ IT’S LEGAL: 
North Carolina law allows for modified calendars, defined as nine weeks of instruction followed by a two-week break. The calendar we adopted fits this definition PERFECTLY!

While the law ties this to schools operating in 2003-04, it does NOT prohibit other districts from adopting the same structure to meet student needs. 
Our calendar exceeds state instructional hour requirements (1,025 hours annually), with over 1,100 hours in both years.

2️⃣ LEANDRO PLAN COMPLIANCE:  
 The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that public schools must provide a sound, basic education. The Leandro Plan explicitly requires calendar flexibility so K-12 schools align with community colleges and address learning gaps.  
Our calendar ensures students take exams before winter break, aligns with dual-enrollment schedules, and helps combat summer learning loss. It’s about putting students first, not profits.

3️⃣ TOURISM DOES NOT TRUMP EDUCATION:
The tourism lobby wants to control our schools to preserve summer profits, but public education is not for sale! 

Charter and private schools already start early and tourism is thriving. Why should public school students be left behind? Especially since the General Assembly voted to give over $600 million dollars to for profit private schools, boosting their enrollment!
We need to refuse to cower to an outdated system that sacrifices our kids’ success for corporate interests.

4️⃣ NO ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM:  
There is no state agency enforcing the calendar law. Challenges are brought by businesses afraid of change, not by the Department of Public Instruction or the courts. Even lawsuits in Carteret and Union counties resulted in no penalties, just minor revisions.

This is about more than calendars, it’s about fighting for what’s right. We cannot let the North Carolina Senate or special interests dictate our children’s education.
The school board must stay strong and stand by its decision. Support the modified calendar and let’s keep our focus where it belongs, on students, not beach vacation profits!  

Sign this petition to let our school board know you agree!