Notably, the Senate is planning to release its budget bill this coming Monday. The bill will be heard in committees on Tuesday, with floor votes on Wednesday and Thursday. The House will review the Senate’s budget and ultimately put out its own budget bill, likely before the end of May. After that, the Senate and House are expected to produce a cross-chamber budget compromise. Once passed, it will be sent to the Governor. As you may remember, Governor Stein released his proposed budget last month (see here). The final budget is formally expected by the end of June, but past years signal that we may need to wait a bit longer.

In the meantime, we can expect endless action during the week of May 8, i.e., the crossover deadline for both chambers. This deadline requires most bills to make it from one chamber to the other if they are to be taken up at a later date.

HB 227: U.S. & N.C. Flags/Made In USA (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Edward Goodwin, R-Chowan; Allen Chesser, R-Nash; Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance; Charles Smith, D-Cumberland)

• Prevents PSUs and other State institutions from using public funds to purchase US flags or NC flags unless the flags were 100% manufactured in the United States.

HB 397: Use of Epinephrine Nasal Spray in Schools (Primary Sponsor: Representative Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth)

• Requires local boards of education and other governing bodies to provide a supply of 2 emergency epinephrine delivery systems on each school campus for trained school personnel to administer.
• Requires local boards of education to adopt a policy that authorizes students with asthma or anaphylactic reactions to use a variety of epinephrine delivery systems in addition to injectors, including epinephrine nasal spray.
• Requires development of an emergency action plan related to the use of epinephrine delivery systems.

Statewide Bills Sent to the House:

SB 507: Auto Enrollment in Advanced ELA Courses (Primary Sponsors: Senators Michael Lee, R-New Hanover; Kevin Corbin, R-Macon; Brad Overcash, R-Gaston)

• Expands qualifying automatic enrollment in advanced courses to include English Language Arts.

Statewide Bills Moving in the Senate:

SB 449: Fiscal Responsibility and K-20 Tech Planning (Primary Sponsors: Senators Michael Lee, R-New Hanover; Kevin Corbin, R-Macon; Brad Overcash, R-Gaston)

• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for PSUs to evaluate the following when acquiring technology, computer hardware, and software:
  • Long term cost of ownership.
  • Flexibility for innovation during its life.
  • Anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle.

• Requires governing bodies of PSUs to submit a report to the State Board by August 15 each year that includes:
  • The break/fix rate, as defined in the bill, of the school technology devices in the PSU for the previous year.
  • Data on school technology devices in operation, devices in need of repair, devices no longer in service, and funds spent to repair or replace those devices.

SB 508: LL to CPL/Apprenticeship Program (Primary Sponsors: Senators Michael Lee, R-New Hanover; Tom McInnis, R-Moore; Dana Jones, R-Forsyth)

• Note: This bill has changed since it was filed (the new version adds 4.5 pages and 2 sections).
• Requires the State Board of Education to convert a limited license to a continuing professional license for a teacher who has available growth data under the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) and has a positive growth score for two of the three most recent years.
• NEW: Establishes the Teacher Apprenticeship Program to provide competitive grants to increase the number of professionally licensed teachers and improve teacher competency, student outcomes, and teacher retention.
• NEW: Requires the Board of Governors of the UNC and the State Board of Community Colleges to develop an expedited teacher pipeline pathway for high school students to enter the teaching profession.

SB 754: School Calendar Flexibility: A New Alternative (Primary Sponsors: Senators Amy Galey, R-Alamance; Phil Berger, R-Rockingham; Michael Lee, R-New Hanover)

• Allows for an opening date for students no earlier than the Monday closest to August 19.
  • On this schedule, requires that the closing date for students is no later than the Friday before Memorial Day.
    • i.e., school districts start 1 week earlier in the fall but end 2 or 3 weeks earlier in the spring (depending on the year).
  • Requires an equal number of days in each semester.
  • If additional instructional time is needed to comply with the minimum instructional requirements due to severe weather or other emergencies, the local school board may revise the closing date, with approval of the State Board of Education.
• Expands who/what has standing to sue the local board of education for not complying with the school calendar law.
• Requires the State Board to withhold the school district’s central office administration funds until the local board is back in compliance.
  • Also requires the General Assembly to consider the future governance of the school or district that had its central office allotment withheld.
• Applies beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

Statewide Bills Moving in the House:

HB 328: Ban Delta-8 & Delta-9 on School Grounds (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg; Donnie Loftis, R-Gaston; Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth; Larry Potts, R-Davidson)

• Prohibits the use of consumable hemp products by any person in public school buildings and private schools accepting public funds and on any other school property owned or operated by the school.
• Hemp products include substances commonly known as “delta-8,” “delta-9,” and “CBD.” Defines tobacco products to include vapor products (vapes).
• This bill was modified in committee to clarify that all vapes are covered by the bill’s contents.

HB 107: Adopt SUDEP Awareness Week (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance; Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg; Ben Moss, R-Richmond; Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort)

• Designates the week beginning on the second Sunday in November each year as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness week in North Carolina.
• Encourages local boards of education to develop and provide seizure awareness training for all teachers and other school personnel who may be responsible for students with epilepsy or predisposed to seizures.

HB 610: Study on Year-Round School (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Timothy Reeder, R-Pitt; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Erin Paré, R-Wake)

• Requires DPI to study and report on the possibility of requiring LEAs to maintain at least one year-round school for grades K-12.

HB 378: Leon’s Law (Dual Enrollment Info Parents) (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Ray Pickett, R-Watauga; Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Ya Liu, D-Wake; Zack Hawkins, D-Durham)

• Requires community colleges to make educational records for dependent minor students automatically available to their parents or guardians. Students must complete a form acknowledging this requirement before enrolling in a course.

Statewide House Bills Filed:

HB 796: The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Allen Buansi, D-Orange; Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg; Ray Pickett, R-Watauga; Timothy Reeder, R-Pitt)

• Requires local boards of education and other governing bodies to annually ensure that any new student IDs for grades 6-12 have the suicide hotline, crisis text line, and NC warmline printed on them.

HB 802: Nicotine & Vaping Prevention in Schools (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Phil Rubin, D-Wake; Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth; Donna White, R-Johnston; Maria Cervania, D-Wake)

• Requires governing bodies of public schools to establish a policy prohibiting the use of nicotine, hemp, and vapor products on school property and at school-sponsored events. Among other requirements, requires adequate notice to students, parents, and personnel.
• Requires governing bodies of PSUs to collaboratively provide evidence-based, age-appropriate information on nicotine, hemp, and vapor cessation and use prevention at the beginning and throughout each year.
• Requires governing bodies to adjust their Code of Student Conduct to include a policy that if any student under 21 is found in possession of nicotine, hemp, or vapor product, it must be confiscated and the guardian must be notified within 24 hours. Establishes further required discipline action based on the number of offenses.

HB 806: Public School Operational Relief (Primary Sponsors: Representatives David Willis, R-Union; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln)

• Removes class size requirements for public schools.
• Requires local boards of education to employ at least 50% of teachers with teacher licenses. Requires all teachers in core subjects to be college graduates.
• Requires all unlicensed teachers to complete preservice training.

HB 809: Count NC Pre-K for School ADM (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Tracy Clark, D-Guilford; Beth Helfrich, D-Mecklenburg; Amos Quick, D-Guilford; Julie von Haefen, D-Wake)

• Requires local boards of education with a NC Pre-K program to include those students in the overall ADM of that school.

HB 815: Voucher School Accountability Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe; Cynthia Ball, D-Wake; Phil Rubin, D-Wake; Marcia Morey, D-Durham)

• Eliminates universal Opportunity Scholarships and modifies student eligibility requirements to include one of the following:
  • Resides in a household with an income level not more than 200% of the amount to qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program
  • A child in foster care
• Reduces the maximum amount of scholarship grants.
• Requires scholarship recipients to take the same test in grades 3-12 (currently only 3, 8, 11).
• Establishes new reporting requirements.

HB 816: Voucher School Transparency Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Phil Rubin, D-Wale; Cynthia Ball, D-Wale; Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe; Cecil Brockman, D-Guilford)

• Requires nonpublic schools that accept Opportunity Scholarship (voucher) grants to provide the Authority with tuition and fees charged to the student.
• Requires all teachers to have a criminal background check.
• Requires applicants for employment with the nonpublic school to have a criminal background check.
• Modifies testing requirements for students receiving an opportunity scholarship.
• Establishes new reporting requirements.
• Requires the State Auditor to review every year at least three completed audits of nonpublic schools that are reported to the Auditor.

HB 832: Revise School Safety Grant Program (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; Grant Campbell, R-Cabarrus; Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg; Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland)

• Amends the School Safety Grant Program to include violence prevention and developing personal and interpersonal skills (character development). Allows funds to be used for training or programming on these skills, peer-to-peer mentoring, and suicide prevention.

HB 835: Learning AAPI Contributions in Schools (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Ya Liu, D-Wake; Edward Goodwin, R-Chowan; Maria Cervania, D-Wake; Jarrod Lowery, R-Robeson)

• Requires the standard course of study from elementary school through high school to include age-appropriate units on the impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on American history, including early and modern contributions and challenges faced by immigrants.

HB 839: Advanced Teaching Roles Updates (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Mary Belk, D-Mecklenburg; Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg; Julia Greenfield, D-Mecklenburg; Nasif Majeed, D-Mecklenburg)

• Modifies definition of a “classroom excellence teacher” to be a classroom teacher in an advanced teaching role who assumes and is responsible for at least 20% more students than other classrooms of the same grade level or subject area.
• Modifies when an ATR school may exceed maximum class sizes for kindergarten through third grade to when approved by the State Board of Education.
• Allows ATR units to designate up to 25% of teachers as adult leadership teachers and 10% as classroom excellence teachers in an ATR school.

HB 840: Reward Schools for Student Growth (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Mary Belk, D-Mecklenburg; Laura Budd, D-Mecklenburg; Beth Helfrich, D-Mecklenburg; Brandon Lofton. D-Mecklenburg)

• Requires that all schools receive separate achievement and school growth scores.
• Establishes grading ranges for both the achievement score scale and school growth scale.
• For compliance with federal law, requires the State Board of Education to additionally calculate the overall school performance score by adding the school achievement (51%) and growth scores (49%).

HB 842: Vis., Hear., Dental Screenings Opt-Out (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Beth Helfrich, D-Mecklenburg; Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg; Sarah Crawford, D-Wake; Julia Greenfield, D-Mecklenburg)

• Allows public schools to conduct health care screenings (vision, hearing, or dental screenings for all students, as well as developmental screenings for cognition, language and motor function in kindergarten) without parental consent. Schools must notify parents of the screenings at the beginning of the school year and provide a student’s results.

HB 844: Finding Grace Family Bill (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Brian Echevarria, R-Cabarrus; Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland; Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance)

• Requires local school administrative units to provide information about adoption, its benefits, and where more information can be found as part of the pre-established reproductive health and safety education program for students that starts in seventh grade.

HB 863: Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1(b) (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe; Eric Ager, D-Buncombe; Brian Turney, D-Buncombe)

• Appropriates $25,200,000 for K-12 Summer Learning Programs to support 30 days of summer instruction in the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.

HB 872: School Employee Protections for Use of Force (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; John Torbett, R-Gaston; Jake Johnson, R-Polk; Brian Echevarria, R-Cabarrus)

• Creates the formal presumption in investigative, administrative, and adversarial proceedings that the use of force by school personnel is reasonable.
• Allows a local board of education, the State Board of Education, their designees, or a court to determine based on evidence if the use of force was not reasonable.
• Prohibits the governing bodies of PSUs from retaliating against or dismissing school personnel for using reasonable force but does not prohibit investigations or suspension.

HB 873: DEQ Agency Bill (Primary Sponsor: Representative Kyle Hall, R-Stokes)

• Requires governing bodies of PSUs to adopt a policy to permit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to use school buildings for public hearings at no cost (excluding custodial and utility fees), except during the school day and school activity hours.

HB 874: North Carolina Healthy Schools Act  (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Jonathan Almond, R-Cabarrus; Allen Chesser, R-Nash; Matthew Winslow, R-Franklin)

• Prohibits governing bodies of public schools from allowing school food authorities and third parties to serve or sell ultra-processed food on school grounds during the school day.

HB 875: DPI to Redesign Math Instruction (Primary Sponsors: Representatives David Willis, R-Union; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Ray Pickett, R-Watauga; Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln)

• Directs DPI to provide a system of support for all K-8 students in math education and their teachers, including supplemental math screening systems for districts to use.
• Requires DPI to provide a list of math instructional materials and professional educational offerings for teachers.

HB 878: Increased Academic Transparency (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Jake Johnson, R-Polk; Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; Wyatt Gable, R-Onslow; David Willis, R-Union)

• Requires governing bodies of public schools to ensure that certain information is clearly displayed on the school website at all times, including:
  • All lesson plans (no later than 10 days after the lesson was given)
  • Procedures for the approval of lesson plans
  • Procedures for requesting an in-person review of course materials not made available to the public
  • A list of teacher and staff training materials and activities used at each school
• Allows teachers and staff to request that their title and last initial be used instead of their full name.
• Requires DPI to make templates available to schools.

HB 883: Support Students with Disabilities Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Jennifer Balkcom, R-Henderson; Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Dean Arp, R-Union)

• Requires DPI to establish a grant program for local school administrative units to apply for funds from the Special State Reserve Fund (SSRF) for children with disabilities to cover extraordinary costs.
• Includes costs associated with the placement of students with disabilities in private schools with approved nonpublic education programs and costs according to a student’s IEP.
• Requires the local school administrative unit to demonstrate that the total cost of the services equals or exceeds four times the State average per pupil expenditure for children with disabilities in the prior fiscal year.
• Grants are student-specific and follow the student.
• Appropriates recurring funds for the grant program.

HB 886: AEDs and CPR in Public Schools (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Wyatt Gable, R-Onslow; Jonathan Almond, R-Cabarrus; Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake; Allen Chesser, R-Nash)

• Requires governing bodies of public schools and nonpublic schools accepting public funds to adopt policies for the installation, use, and maintenance of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).
• Requires placement of at least one AED in each school and implementation of an appropriate training course for school personnel in the use of AEDs.
• Appropriates funds on a first-come, first-serve basis to governing bodies in an amount sufficient to purchase and install one AED per school and train personnel.

HB 902: Free to Learn – Library Bill of Rights Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Julie von Haefen, D-Wake; Marcia Morey, D-Durham; Aisha Dew, D-Mecklenburg; Julia Greenfield, D-Mecklenburg)

• Establishes and protects the rights to access information, preserve intellectual freedom, maintain privacy, and participate in library services without discrimination or undue restriction.

HB 905: Public School Part-Time Enrollment (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Tricia Cotham; Allen Chesser, R-Nash; Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance)

• Requires local school administrative units and charter schools to allow students that attend nonpublic school to enroll part time to access any courses, programs, or services offered by the enrolling unit.
• Requires local boards of education to develop a policy on this matter to be made available on their website.
• Allocates funds to the enrolling local school administrative unit or charter school at a percentage rate.
• Allocates funds for administrative costs associated with implementation.

HB 910: DRIVE Recommendations/Teacher Diversity (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Zack Hawkins, D-Durham; Amber Baker, D-Forsyth; Frances Jackson, D-Cumberland; Julie von Haefen, D-Wake)

• Appropriates funds for research-based Grow-Your-Own and 2+2 programs in all regions of the State, including high school-based career academy programs, the North Carolina Teacher Cadet Program, Teaching as a Profession, and the TAs to Teachers and Troops to Teacher programs.
• Requires the State Board of Education and the DRIVE Network to establish a grant program to support strategic partnerships to increase the pipeline of educators of color across the State. Grants must be used to implement initiatives that support the recruitment, preparation, support, and retention of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse educators.
• Requires the State Board of Education to establish a grant program to assist local school administrative units in the development of teacher preparation residency pilot programs.
• Expands the NC Teaching Fellow Program to include efforts to identify and encourage students of color and students who may not otherwise consider a career in teaching to enter the Program.
• Alters Educator Preparation Program (EPP) reporting requirements.
• Eliminates the minimum testing requirements for EPP admission.

HB 912: The Hometown Opp. For Mentoring Educators Act (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Matthew Winslow, R-Franklin; Erin Pare, R-Wake; David Willis, R-Union; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph)

• Provides grants to teachers who (as students) attended school for at least five years in that same LEA or graduated from a high school in that LEA. This salary supplement is $500/month if the eligible teacher remains in compliance with the agreement.
• Requires local boards of education receiving grants under the Program to make efforts to promote the Program to high school students.

HB 939: School Chaplains (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Blair Eddins, R-Wilkes; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Paul Scott, R-Rutherford; Neal Jackson, R-Moore)

• Allows the governing body of a PSU to employ or accept a volunteer qualified chaplain to serve as the school chaplain.
• Requires governing bodies to establish a policy on school chaplains.
• Does NOT require PSUs to hire or accept a school chaplain.
• Specifies that the employment of a school chaplain shall not be construed as an endorsement of any particular religion.

HB 943: Turning High-Achieving Students into Teachers (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Cynthia Ball, D-Wake; Dante Pittman, D-Wilson; Bryan Cohn, D-Granville; Frances Jackson, D-Cumberland)

• Appropriates funds for the North Carolina Teacher Cadet Program to expand the educator pipeline, including providing statewide curriculum training workshops.

HB 947: Every Child Reads (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; Cecil Brockman, D-Guilford)

• Requires dyslexia screening and interventions for learning difficulties with language, reading, and writing in public schools and NC Pre-K programs.
• Requires dyslexia training for teachers in the NC Pre-K program and grades K-3, 6, and 9.
• Requires literacy instruction in middle schools to be aligned with the Science of Reading.
• Transfers NC-Pre K from DHHS to DPI.
• Includes reporting requirements.

HB 959: Social Media Literacy in Schools (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; Kyle Hall, R-Stokes; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph)

• Requires local boards of education to adopt policies for student internet access. Among other requirements, the policy must limit access to only age-appropriate material, prohibit “hacking” activity, and prohibit the use of TikTok.
• Requires local boards of education to provide instruction on social media and its impacts, including negative effects on mental health and the spread of misinformation.

HB 981: LSAU Open Enrollment (Primary Sponsors: Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake; Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln; David Willis, R-Union)

• Allows a parent or guardian to request that a student be enrolled at any school within the same LEA.
• Requires local boards of education to adopt an open enrollment plan to allow for students to apply to attend a school other than the school in the assignment area the student lives in.
• Establishes minimum requirements that must be included in the policy.
• Establishes parameters for open enrollment procedures.

HB 985: Increase Punishment for Assaulting Teachers (Primary Sponsors: Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph; John Bell, R-Wayne)

• Makes it a Class I felony to assault a school employee or volunteer while they are acting in the official capacity of their duties.

HB 986: Support Our Teachers (Primary Sponsors: Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Brian Biggs, R-Randolph)

• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules that prohibit LEAs from adopting policies that require teachers to post lesson plans or lesson objectives.
• Requires the State Board to adopt rules that prohibit LEAs from imposing any duties on teachers during the teacher’s allotted lunchtime.
• Requires teachers who provide professional development to other teachers to be compensated for the time spent leading that training.

• *Based on the given criteria, only one school district is eligible: Mooresville Graded School District.*
• Allows the eligible district to submit a Financial and Hiring Flexibility Plan (FHFP) to the State Board of Education for approval. The plan requires a description of how certain flexibilities will aid in meeting goals related to student career development plans, teacher retention, and above average growth among subgroups of students.
• The pilot allows for:
  • The deposit of money in the State treasury to the credit of the FHFP district.
  • District authority to determine school calendar opening and closing dates.
  • Up to 50% of unlicensed teachers in each school, so long as teachers teaching core subject areas are college graduates and all unlicensed teachers complete preservice training.

Local Bills Moving in the House:

HB 637: Community of Practice ATR Supplement (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Timothy Reeder, R-Pitt; Gloristine Brown, D-Pitt)

• *Technically not a local bill but only impacts Pitt County Schools*
• Grants Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) salary supplement flexibility to Pitt County schools participating in the Community of Practice model.

Local House Bills Filed:

HB 848: Cleveland Cultivation of Excellence Pilot (Primary Sponsors: Representatives Paul Scott, R-Rutherford; John Torbett, R-Gaston)

• *Technically not a local bill but only impacts Cleveland County Schools*
• Establishes the Cultivation of Excellence Pilot Program to improve student achievement and performance, along with teacher recruitment and retention, in Cleveland County Schools.
• Allows Cleveland County Schools to:
  • Exercise flexibility in establishing staffing levels for kindergarten through third grade classes
  • Employ individuals as teachers who do not hold a license (so long as core subject teachers are college graduates and no more than 50% of teachers at any school are unlicensed)
• Requires that no more than 25% of teachers employed by the Cleveland County Board of Education be unlicensed.
• If the State Board determines that Cleveland County Schools has failed to meet fiscal management standards or violated law at any time, they may terminate participation in the pilot.
• Does not appropriate funds.

HB 972: Funds for Public Projects in Wayne County (Primary Sponsors: John Bell, R-Wayne; Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin)

• *Technically not a local bill but only impacts Wayne County*
• Provides funds to Wayne County for various projects, including a capital project at Rosewood Middle School and updates to the athletics track at Dillard Middle School.

Federal Spending Website Pulled Down, Citing Need for Confidentiality: The Trump Administration has permanently taken down the federal apportionments website, which tracked how the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) allocated funds. OMB Director Russ Vought announced the move in a letter to Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), explaining that the decision was made to safeguard internal deliberations. Vought argued that revealing details exposes sensitive and unfinished government discussions, discourages communication, and threatens national security. A variety of advocates and lawmakers, including education stakeholders, have voiced concerns, saying the website was a crucial accountability tool for monitoring government expenditures.

Democrat Lawmakers Meet with McMahon at Education Department: At a recent press conference, Democratic legislators questioned Education Secretary Linda McMahon over her statements about the ED’s direction, especially through a legal lens, following major staff cuts. Lawmakers expressed concern over McMahon’s direction to dismantle the ED, especially amid reductions in sections like the Office for Civil Rights. Democratic leaders also criticized the rumored plan to shift major educational programs, including student loans, to other federal entities. McMahon made an appearance at the event, reiterated support for state-led initiatives, but didn’t clarify any timeline for department-wide closure. Though some saw her openness to dialogue as an opportunity for change, others remain concerned with what they see as governmental overreach.

Registration is now open for the next recurring live legislative update with our Governmental Relations team on the first Monday of next month (and every month) from 12-12:45. This is an informal opportunity for school board members to meet and discuss current issues. You are invited to come and go as you please.

Once your registration is approved (we will manually confirm that all registrants are local school board members), you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link. Registrants will also receive a reminder confirmation email on the day of the meeting with the Zoom link. *Please note that you will need to separately register for every month’s session that you plan to attend. Monthly registration links will be continuously included in these weekly legislative updates.*

State News
Governor Stein Press Release: Governor Stein Announces Council On Student Safety & Well-Being (Executive Order here)
EdNC: Pitt County’s Rachel Candaso named North Carolina’s 2025 Teacher of the Year
Neuse News: Lenoir County schools face setback after federal COVID funding revoked
DPI: The 2025 North Carolina Finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Announcement
Carolina Journal: NC and American flags should be made in US, legislators say in unanimous vote

National News
K-12 Dive: Education Department’s DEI order postponed as case pends
The 74: The Education Department Asked for Reports of DEI. It Might Get Something Else
K-12 Dive: ‘Let’s shake it up’: McMahon defends massive cuts at Education Department
The 74: New Food Security Threats 5 Years After COVID-Era Effort to Feed All Kids
K-12 Dive: States, lawmakers push back on ‘abrupt and chaotic’ reversal of COVID funds
The 74: The NAEP Test ‘Absolutely’ Needs to Stay, Linda McMahon Says. The Education Department? Not So Much

House: Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs
8:30 am, Tuesday, April 15
Bills being considered include:
HB 615 – Enrollment Stability for Military Students
Click here to stream.

Senate: Appropriations/Base Budget
8:30 am, Tuesday, April 15
Bills being considered include:
SB 257:  2025 Appropriations Act
Click here to stream.

House: Health
11:00 am, Tuesday, April 15
Bills being considered include:
HB 578: The Jason Flatt Act of North Carolina
HB 4: Sam’s Law
Click here to stream.

House: Education – K-12
2:00 pm, Tuesday, April 15
Bills being considered include:
HB 414: 1-to-1 Credit for Career and College Promise
HB 415: Split Math Courses and Change Math Grad. Reqs
HB 671: Competitive Speech and Debate Grant Pilot
HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content for Students
Click here to stream.

House: State and Local Government
2:00 pm, Tuesday, April 15
Bills being considered include:
HB 244: Depoliticize Government Property Act
HB 288: POW/MIA Flag/State Bldgs. & Schools
HB 649: County Tier Designation Study Bill
Click here to stream.

House: Pensions and Retirement
11:00 am, Wednesday, April 16
Bills being considered include:
HB 106: Revive High-Need Retired Teachers Program
Click here to stream.

Senate: Judiciary
11:00 am, Wednesday, April 16
Bills being considered include:
SB 429: 2025 Public Safety Act
SB 754: School Calendar Flexibility: A New Alternative
Click here to stream.

To keep up with the General Assembly’s legislative calendar, click here.