The Senate mostly proposed additional funds to items they deemed time-sensitive, including:

• Fully funding Opportunity Scholarships
• Providing over $100,000 for childcare needs
• Medicaid funding

The Senate budget mirrors the salary levels in the budget passed last year.

The House budget proposal spends around $300 million more than the Senate’s plan. Extra funds in the K-12 portion include:

• Salary increases for all school employees above what was previously budgeted
• Increasing beginning teacher pay from $41,000 to $44,000
• An additional $500,000 per county for school repairs and renovations
• Reinstates Master’s pay
• Increases the Small County and Low-Wealth allotments
• More than $10 million towards CTE programs
• 2% one-time cost-of-living adjustment to retirees
• Fully funds Opportunity Scholarships

Both House and Senate leaders say they are leaving Raleigh after their work is done next week for an extended duration, most likely without a deal. Speaker Moore said, “And it may be that perhaps during this summertime with a lot of heat, maybe a little cooling off might be a good thing around this building as well.” He added, “So with that being the case, we may go into, it has yet to be determined whether we may go into a recess period, no vote period or an adjournment for some period of time.”

Fortunately, the 2nd year of the budget that was passed last year goes into effect July 1. However, that budget used intent language for the second-year salary increases, meaning until the General Assembly passes a “budget” bill with those increases included, school employees will not see additional monies in their paychecks.

Bills Passed into Law

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.
• Henceforth SL 2024-9.

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).
• Henceforth SL 2024-10.

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.
• Henceforth SL 2024-8.

Statewide Bills Sent Back to House for Concurrence Vote

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 the principal or designee at the informal hearing to provide the student facing discipline with detailed, written documentation of the specific section of the Code of Student Conduct that was violated.
• Entitles a student in 9th grade or above to appeal a short-term suspension lasting five or more days if the request is made within 14 days of the principal’s decision.
• Permits any short-term suspension to be expunged for a student in 9th grade or above if certain criteria are met.
• This bill is wordy and convoluted; we suggest you read it for yourself.
• Applies to 2024-25 school year.
• Passed the Senate 43-0.

H38: Education Omnibus Changes (Primary Sponsors: Representatives A. Reece Pyrtle, R-Rockingham; Jason Saine, R-Lincoln; Ben T. Moss, R-Richmond; Charles W. Miller, R-Brunswick)

• Original House bill required that cash be accepted as a form of payment for admission fees to interscholastic athletic activities.
• The following are amendments added in the Senate:
• Allows Dare Early College High School and Rockingham County CTE Innovation High School to operate as cooperative innovative high schools.
• Adjusts the supplanting criteria for supplemental funds allocated for teacher compensation to ensure compliance and appropriate use of funds by local school administrative units.
• Expands eligibility for forgivable loans under the NC Teaching Fellows Program to include students enrolled in educator preparation programs during the 2023-2024 academic year.
• Allows the Authority administering Opportunity Scholarships to allocate unused administrative funds for the Personal Education Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities Program.
• Passed the Senate 43-0.

HB 900: Certain CIHS Partners/Regulate Tobacco Prod. (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Erin Paré, R-Wake; Sarah Crawford, D-Wake; Ya Liu, D-Wake; Maria Cervania, D-Wake)

• Requires the State Board of Education to approve the substitute of a new partner higher education institution for the Wake Young Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academies, beginning as early as the 2024-2025 school year.
• A Senate amendment adds an extensive section relating to youth access to tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, vapor products, and cigarette wrapping papers. No impact on school boards.
• Passed the Senate 41-0.

Local Bill Sent to House

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

• Alters elected terms for the Watauga County Board of Education so that all five elected Board members serve staggered four-year terms, including the top three candidates in the 2024 election.
• 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 the Senate 30-19.

Child Nutrition House Appropriations Subcommittee Marks Up USDA Funding Bill: A House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) bill, which includes mandatory funding for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food. It also increases funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) said the legislation “invests in rural communities, expands access to broadband, provides nutrition assistance to those in need, and ensures that American consumers have a safe food and drug supply.” Committee Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) argued that the bill puts food assistance at risk for vulnerable Americans, particularly women and children, and jeopardizes pediatric health.

Budget and Appropriations Wrap-Up Update: The FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) bill is expected to see subcommittee consideration the week of June 24. Full committee debate is tentatively scheduled for the second week of July.

To read more, click here to view the full report for the week of June 18.

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

State News
Associated Press: North Carolina House seeks higher worker pay, child care and voucher money in budget bill
EducationNC: House budget: Additional raises, master’s pay, and more funds for Opportunity Scholarships
Associated Press: North Carolina legislature likely heading home soon for a ‘little cooling off’ over budget
WFAE: Can courts get students back in class next year?
EducationNC: North Carolina high schoolers report fewer suicidal behaviors, survey shows
News & Observer: Natural hairstyles for students, staff in Wake schools to soon have CROWN Act protections
EducationNC: Perspective | Recruiting and supporting educators is critical for North Carolina’s children
EducationNC: State is losing more than $5 billion per year due to lack of child care access, study finds
Associated Press: North Carolina governor vetoes bill that would mandate more youths getting tried in adult court
WRAL: Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff visits Durham to announce funding for lead mitigation in schools and daycares
WRAL: Constitutional amendments could be on NC voters’ 2024 ballots, top GOP leader says

National News
New York Times: Public Funding, Private Education
The 74: As Schools Brace for More English Learners, How Well Are They Being Served Now
The 74: JUMP In: Math Tutoring Program Slows Pace, Builds in Repetition and Get Results
The 74: Why Many ‘High-Achieving’ Students Don’t Become Teachers and What We Can Do About It
EducationWeek: Who’s Eligible for Special Education Services? Schools Struggle to Keep Up
The 74: Want to Close America’s Learning Gaps? First, Strengthen Students’ Relationships
Press Release from the Federal Communications Commission: FCC Adopts $200 Million Cybersecurity Pilot Program For Schools and Libraries
New York Times: Louisiana Requires Ten Commandments to Be Displayed in Every Public Classroom
K-12 Dive: Civil liberty groups vow to fight Louisiana’s Ten Commandments displays in schools
New York Times: California Joins Growing National Effort to Ban Smartphone Use in Schools
K-12 Dive: Warning label needed for social media, US Surgeon General says
The 74: Hundreds of High Schools Wrongfully Refused Entry to Older, Immigrant Student
The 74: Juneteenth: New Ways to Teach about Slavery, Black Perseverance and U.S. History

Currently, no other schedules have been released for education-related committees next week. Check the NC General Assembly calendar page for updates.