• *$50 million: Capital Recovery Funds – for repair and renovation of school district and lab school facilities’ unmet needs not covered by insurance or available federal aid.
• *$5 million: Technology Funds for Public Schools – for replacement of school technology, particularly student and teacher devices.
• *$5 million: School Nutrition Food, Supplies, and Equipment Loss – to repair or replace food nutrition equipment, food, and supplies in public school units (PSUs) participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
• $5 million: Additional Mental Health Funds for Public Schools – to provide increased mental health services to students, families, and school personnel to assist with the recovery process, trauma care, and reintegration into academic life following Hurricane Helene. Each eligible PSU will receive an initial $30,000 and the remaining funds will be distributed based on allotted average daily membership (ADM).

*Only in counties with a federal disaster declaration due to Hurricane Helene.

Aside from funding, SB 743 also incorporates the following education policy changes:

• Section 4A.1: Additional school calendar flexibility: Schools closed as a result of Hurricane Helene or PTC8 are granted calendar flexibility for missed instructional time from September through November 2024 (was October 2024). PSUs may also request a waiver from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to deem 20 more instructional days as complete (in addition to the 20 granted in the last relief package).
• Section 4A.2: Readmission of displaced charter school students: Allows charter school students that were displaced by Hurricane Helene to hold their seat at that charter school for the next (2025-2026) school year without having to reapply, even if the student temporarily attends a different school.
• Section 4A.5: Educator preparation program testing admissions waiver: For applications for admission for the spring semester of the 2024-2025 academic year only, recognized EPPs at the following institutions of higher education may admit individual students without requiring the students to meet any of the testing criteria set forth in G.S. 115C-269.15(a): Brevard College, Gardner-Webb University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Lees-McRae College, Mars Hill University, Montreat College, Appalachian State University, The University of North Carolina at Asheville, and Western Carolina University.

Representative Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) pointedly noted during session when discussing the impact of Hurricane Helene on students: “It’s changed their lives, and it’s changed their habits.” The impacts on students will only become clearer with time, and again, this package is not the last effort of the legislature to offer relief to WNC and legislators expect these discussions to continue indefinitely.

SB 743: The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 – Part II  garnered unanimous support by state legislators and was sent to Governor Cooper.

S.L. 2024-52 / SB 132: Early Voting Sites/Helene Counties.

• Each county board of elections in the counties listed below are required to open at least one early voting site for every 30,000 registered voters, or any portion thereof, in that county no later than Tuesday, October 29, 2024, and until Saturday, November 2, 2024.
• Applies only in the counties of Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey.

The Delegate Assembly at NCSBA’s Annual Conference

REMINDER: School districts are allowed up to four voting delegates at the Delegate Assembly at this year’s Annual Conference (at the Sheraton Greensboro from November 18-20). Please submit your voting delegates and take part in this important meeting where school boards can participate in the advocacy and direction of our Association’s future! Your delegates must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on November 8, 2024, via email to communications@ncsba.org or your board will forfeit the opportunity to participate in the meeting. No onsite forms will be accepted. The current agenda for the 2024 Delegates Assembly can be found here.

Voting items during the Assembly will include the 2025-2026 Draft NCSBA Legislative Agenda. To view the Draft Legislative Agenda, click here. We will hold another live webinar (thanks to those who attended this week!) on October 31 from 10-11 a.m. to go over each priority and answer questions. Click here for the Zoom link. If you can’t make the next webinar, view the most recent recording here.

If you have amendments for any items, we strongly encourage you to submit them to Silya Bennai, Advocacy Coordinator, at sbennai@ncsba.org before the Annual Conference, though both Silya Bennai and Bruce Mildwurf, Director of Governmental Relations, will be available at Conference to receive additional submissions.

Education Department Provides Support for Hurricane-Impacted Communities: As school systems in Western North Carolina begin the long road to recovery from Hurricane Helene, the US Department of Education has published a list of federal resources that are available. These resources include guidance, on-the-ground support, technical assistance (including accessing federal resources), peer-to-peer connections for state and local leaders, and resources for recovery needs such as mental health support for students and educators and restore learning environments. The Department of Education has a Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) that is working with federal recovery partners to support disaster recovery and connect education entities with disaster recovery experts. The DRU reached out to state educational agencies and over 500 institutions of higher education in impacted disaster areas to inform them of financial assistance. Click here for the complete list of resources as published by the Education Department.

Durham Public Schools Wins Diversity Grant: The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a new investment aimed at fostering diversity and improving student outcomes. With $65.4 million awarded to 12 new recipients of the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) and an additional $1.7 million allocated for two new grants under the Fostering Diverse Schools (FDS) Demonstration Grant Program, school districts across the country are benefiting. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona summed up the initiative by saying, “Diversity is America’s superpower. When students learn alongside those from different backgrounds, their horizons broaden.” Here in North Carolina, Durham Public Schools received one of the MSAP grants to the tune of $5.2 million. The grants will support magnet schools and are designed to integrate innovative and academically challenging programs to attract students from various backgrounds. The magnet school model has long been a tool to address racial and economic segregation in schools, and this funding will enable more districts to expand these programs. Click here for a complete list of winners and a press release on the grants.

Click here to read more about these topics and others in the October 14th report.

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

State News
EdNC: A ‘survival, recovery, return’ plan of action is guiding Mitchell County Schools after Hurricane Helene
Asheville Citizen Times: Madison County Schools set for post-Helene return; to provide showers, laundry services
NC Newsline: NC 2023 teacher of the year Kimberly Jones on the education needs Helene helped expose
EdNC: Mapping the 2023-24 school report cards
EdNC: What’s it like to be principal for a day?
NC Newsline: Federal EPA to fund 38 new electric buses for Durham Public Schools
EdNC: EdExplainer | North Carolina’s teacher pipeline revisited
WFAE: Union County Schools’ $39 million bond package on the ballot
EdNC: How Hyde County Schools is trying to break the ‘vicious cycle’ of child care and housing crises
EdNC: This November’s school board elections, mapped
EdNC: PAGE uses an ecosystem of partnerships to support students in aftermath of storm
NC Health News: Post-Helene, mental health providers help kids cope
EdNC: Following Helene, some charter schools in western North Carolina face a long and uncertain recovery 
Associated Press: Many schools are still closed weeks after Hurricane Helene. Teachers worry about long-term impact
EdNC: Burke County elementary schools welcome two child care programs devastated by Helene

National News
The 74: Universal Pre-K Among the Most Effective Labor Market Policies, Study Finds
Chalkbeat: Rebuilding after Helene and Milton: Educators share experiences from previous disasters
K-12 Dive: FCC Releases Cybersecurity Resource Guide for Budget-Constrained Schools
KQED: Do Cellphone Bans In Middle School Work? It’s Complicated.

The legislature is expected to take up another Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill during the week of November 18 (as permitted by SJR 916).

House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) noted during Thursday’s session that when the General Assembly returns next month they will likely vote to override Governor Cooper’s veto of HB 10, the bill which funds universal private school vouchers and school district growth.