Speaker Moore indicated to the media this week that the House supports doing something for state employees and teachers beyond what’s already budgeted. The House is also interested in addressing childcare funding, vouchers, and other programs. Moore added, however, that the Senate is not necessarily on the same page (apart from vouchers). Meanwhile, Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) indicated that the House is proposing to spend too much. In his words, the Senate is “just not willing to bust the bank.”

Senate leaders have indicated that they hope to wrap up the short session in the next few weeks, whether or not a new (adjusted) budget is in place. The two-year budget passed last year during the long session will remain in place if the chambers do not come to a compromise.

We will send out an alert with education highlights to our readers shortly after the House budget proposal is made public. A more detailed summary will follow next Friday.

Additionally, following up on last week’s update about Carteret County’s struck down calendar, the Carteret County Board of Education unanimously voted to appeal the decision and ask for a stay petition which would delay the effect of the judge’s ruling. Click here to read more from the Carteret County News-Times.

Bills Sent to the Governor:

HB 988: Retirement Technical Corrections (Primary Sponsor: Representative Carson Smith, R-Pender)

• Makes conforming changes across TSERS, LGERS, Legislative Retirement System, and State Health Plan to ensure consistent reading of the statutes administered by the Department of State Treasurer.
• Passed the Senate 46-0.

HB 989: Retirement Service Purchase Rewrite Part III (Primary Sponsor: Representative Carson Smith, R-Pender)

• Last part of a multi-year effort to recodify and standardize the remaining service purchase types across all retirement systems (excluding military service purchases).
• Passed the Senate 46-0.

HB 1020: Retirement Admin. Changes Act of 2024 (Primary Sponsor: Representative Carson Smith, R-Pender)

• Makes minor administrative changes to the operation of the Retirement Systems and administering retirement benefits by expanding eligibility for participation in the 401(k) plan for part-time employees in accordance with SECURE Act 2.0.
• Passed the Senate 46-0.

Statewide Bill Passed by Senate Committee:

HB 207: Discipline Changes (Introduced by: Senator Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson)

• The original bill that dealt with training for teachers was replaced with language pertaining to short and long term suspensions.
• Requires principals or their designees to accept a detailed, written eyewitness account only from school personnel and/or the student subject to the discipline within 24 hours of the incident.
• Requires the principal or designee to provide the student facing discipline with detailed, written documentation of the specific section of the Code of Student Conduct that was violated and information about a right to appeal short-term suspensions of 5 days or more if the request is made within 14 days of the principal’s decision.
• Requires the governing body to adopt a policy providing the procedures for the appeal and allows for the superintendent or designee to conduct the appeal hearing.
• Requires short-term suspensions to a student in 9th grade or above to be expunged if certain criteria are met.
• Applies to 2024-25 school year.
• Passed Senate Education/Higher Education.

Local Bill Passed by Senate Committee:

SB 912: Elections Changes for Watauga Ed & County Bds (Primary Sponsor: Senator Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell)

• Filed this week.
• Alters elected terms for the Watauga County Board of Education so that all five elected Board members serve staggered four-year terms.
• Creates electoral districts for the Watauga County Board of Education that will be the same as those for the Watauga County Board of Commissioners.
• Requires that one Board member residing in each district will be elected only by qualified voters also residing in that district.
• Passed Senate Redistricting and Elections.

Statewide Bill Passed by House Committees:

HB 1044 County Tier Designation Study Bill (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Jake Johnson, R-Polk; Robert Reives, D-Chatham)

• Directs the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill to study changes to the county tier designation system.
• Passed House State Government.

Budget and Appropriations Wrap-Up: The House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) is still aiming to get all budget bills passed before the August recess. There has been no word from the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) about her timeline for marking up bills. Some predict that temporary spending bills may keep the federal government operating through the elections. President Biden’s request for the Department of Education for FY 2025 reflects a $3.1 billion (4%) increase from the FY 2024 continued resolution, but Congress has the final say on the budget.

House Education Panel on Border Security Impact on K-12 Schools: A House Education Subcommittee held a hearing on the impact of border activity on K-12 schools. A Supreme Court 1982 ruling affirmed that education is a fundamental right, regardless of a student’s immigration status. Providing education for undocumented students “requires substantial resources, altering the learning environment for all students,” stated Subcommittee Chair Aaron Bean (R-FL). Schools are currently facing higher levels of enrollment, transportation delays, increased language-related costs, and lower levels of parental involvement. There was substantial disagreement during the hearing on whether the solution is to change immigration policies or provide schools with more resources. Click here for a hearing recap.

To read more on these topics and see the full report for the week of June 3, click here.

The following links are recent news articles, press releases, and reports on state and national education-related issues.

State News
EducationNC: The EC teacher shortage in North Carolina: Solutions from EdNC’s reporting
EducationNC: NC Ed Corps highlights need for more high-dosage tutoring
News & Observer: Thousands of state employees, teachers to get raises in July — even if there’s no new budget
EducationNC: EdExplainer | Why early childhood education isn’t ‘day care’
News & Observer: GOP’s Robinson tells Moms for Liberty he wants to get DEI out of schools, government
WRAL: Conservative group wants high school graduates to pass US citizenship test
News & Observer: LGBTQ advocates, lawmakers rebuke NC laws targeting trans youth in Pride Month push
WFAE: For first time since 2011, the number of NC charter schools will be flat
News & Observer: NC Board of Education votes against allowing public school athletes access to NIL money
The Assembly: Essay: Why I Left Teaching
Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County Schools to outsource substitute teacher program to private firm
WRAL: State Health Plan raises premiums for 26,000 NC members
WRAL: NC lawmakers pass new rules for wearing masks in public, plus ‘dark money’ political spending
WRAL: Bill would alter appeal process for NC deaf and blind school admission
Press Release from the Office of Governor Cooper: Major North Carolina Employers Agree: Meaningful Investments in Child Care and Early Childhood Education are Critical to Strengthening Our Workforce and Economy

National News
The 74: Report: Schools Won’t Recover from COVID Absenteeism Crisis Until at Least 2030
K-12 Dive: Bipartisan Senate bill would create federal guidance for AI in schools
The 74: Poll: For Many School Choice Advocates, ‘Religious’ Means ‘Christian’
EducationWeek: The State of Career and Technical Education, in Charts
The 74: Personalized Learning Boosts Student Engagement, Reduces Pandemic Learning Loss
K-12 Dive: What are the most common school communications crises?
National Institute for Early Education Research: The State of Preschool Yearbook
Washington Post: Virginia school board sued after reinstating Confederate school names
The 74: Science of Reading Push Helped Some States Exceed Pre-Pandemic Performance

House: Appropriations
Tuesday, June 18, 9:00 AM
Click here to stream.

House: Finance
Tuesday, June 18, 1:00 PM
Click here to stream.
The bill being heard is HB 263: 2023 Appropriations Act.

House: Pensions and Retirement
Tuesday, June 18, 2:00 PM
Click here to stream.
The bill being heard is HB 263: 2023 Appropriations Act.

Check the NC General Assembly calendar page for updates.