The Cumberland County Board of Education highly values parental engagement and respects the rights of parents in the education and upbringing of their children. Following the recent approval of the Parents' Bill of Rights by the North Carolina General Assembly, our district remains dedicated to nurturing strong partnerships with parents to promote student success. We firmly believe parents are indispensable in their children's lives and education. Our commitment involves empowering parents by upholding their rights to guide their children's education, access records, make medical decisions and engage with their academic progress. 

North Carolina General Statute § 115C-76.25 outlines these rights, with many already addressed in existing Board Policy. The recently approved legislation consolidates all this information in one convenient location, promoting transparency and making it easily accessible for families. Any Board Policy updates concerning these rights will be added to this website.

§ 115C-76.25.  Parent legal rights for their child's education.

Parents have legal rights with regards to their child's education, including the following:

1. The right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 115C-81.30. (Policy Code: 3540 Healthful Living)
2. The right to seek a medical or religious exemption from immunization requirements, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 130A-156 and G.S. 130A-157. (Policy Code: 4110 Immunization and Health Requirements for School Admission)
3. The right to review statewide standardized assessment results as part of the State report card. (Policy Code: 1310/4002 Parental Involvement) (Policy Code: 1320/3560 Title I Parent and Family Engagement)
4. The right to request an evaluation of their child for an academically or intellectually gifted program, or for identification as a child with a disability, as provided in Article 9 of this Chapter. (Policy Code: 3520 Special Education Programs/Rights of Students with Disabilities) (Parents Rights and Responsibilities in Special Education: Notice of Procedural Safeguards) (Policy Code: 4155 Assignment to Classes)
5. The right to inspect and purchase public school unit textbooks and other supplementary instructional materials, as provided in Part 3 of Article 8 of this Chapter. (Policy Code: 3210 Parental Inspection of and Objection to Instructional Materials) (§ 115C-102. Right to purchase; disposal of textbooks and materials)
6. The right to access information relating to the unit's policies for promotion or retention, including high school graduation requirements. (Policy Code: 3420 Student Promotion and Accountability) (Policy Code: 3405 Students At-Risk of Academic Failure) (Policy Code: 3460 Graduation Requirements) (Regulation Code: 3460-R Four Course Concentration) (Regulation Code: 3460-R1 Calculating Credits for Transfer Students and Differentiated Diploma Pathway (DDP)
7. The right to receive student report cards on a regular basis that clearly depict and grade the student's academic performance in each class or course, the student's conduct, and the student's attendance. (Policy Code: 3400 Evaluation of Student Progress)
8. The right to access information relating to the State public education system, State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements. (Policy Code: 1310/4002 Parental Involvement)
9. The right to participate in parent-teacher organizations. (Policy Code: 5010 Parent Organizations)
10. The right to opt in to certain data collection for their child, as provided in Part 5 of this Article and Article 29 of this Chapter. (Policy Code: 1310/4002 Parental Involvement) (Policy Code: 4720 Surveys of Students)
11. The right for students to participate in protected student information surveys only with parental consent, as provided in N.C.G.S. § 115C-76.65. (Policy Code: 1310/4002 Parental Involvement) (Policy Code: 4720 Surveys of Students)    
12. The right to review all available records of materials their child has borrowed from a school library. (Policy Code: 4700 Student Records) (Policy Code: 3210 Parental Inspection of and Objection to Instructional Materials)