No person shall be refused admission to or be excluded from any public school in this State on account of race, creed, color or national origin. No school attendance district or zone shall be drawn for the purpose of segregating persons of various races, creeds, colors or national origins from the community.

Where local school administrative units have divided the geographic area into attendance districts or zones, pupils shall be assigned to schools within such attendance districts: Provided, however, that the board of education of a local school administrative unit may assign any pupil to a school outside of such attendance district or zone in order that such pupil may attend a school of a specialized kind including but not limited to a vocational school or school operated for, or operating programs for, pupils mentally or physically handicapped, or for any other reason which the board of education in its sole discretion deems sufficient.

The provisions of Part 1D of Article 9 of this Chapter, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-366(b), and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-367 to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-370 shall not apply to a temporary assignment due to the unsuitability of a school for its intended purpose nor to any assignment or transfer necessitated by overcrowded conditions or other circumstances which, in the sole discretion of the school board, require assignment or reassignment.

The provisions of Part 1D of Article 9 of this Chapter, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-366(b), and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-367 to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-370 shall not apply to an application for the assignment or reassignment by the parent, guardian or person standing in loco parentis of any pupil or to any assignment made pursuant to a choice made by any pupil who is eligible to make such choice pursuant to the provisions of a freedom of choice plan voluntarily adopted by the board of education of a local school administrative unit. (1969, c. 1274; 1981, c. 423, s. 1; 2006-69, s. 3(j).)