Sen. McInnis files bill in North Carolina Senate to sync Cumberland schools’ calendar with community college

A new bill filed by State Sen. Tom McInnis seeks to permit Cumberland County Schools to synchronize its academic calendar with the local community college’s schedule, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 66 on Feb. 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘SchCalFlex/Cumberland/CC.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill allows Cumberland County Schools to align its academic calendar with Fayetteville Technical Community College’s calendar. It amends the previously established school opening and closing dates outlined in G.S. 115C-84.2(d) for Cumberland County by permitting the local board of education to synchronize with the community college’s schedule. The standard restrictions on opening no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and closing no later than the Friday closest to June 11 are waived for this purpose. The act takes effect upon becoming law and is applicable starting with the 2025-26 school year.

Mcinnis proposed one other bill during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Mclnnis, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 21st Senate district, replacing previous state senator Ben Clark.