Guns in Church and Schools |
In another busy week at the NCGA, Senate Bill 280 “Private School Security Act” was introduced to make it easier for individuals to carry firearms at private schools and places of religious worship (e.g., church, chapel, meetinghouse, synagogue, temple, longhouse, mosque) that are used for educational purposes. The bill allows certain “employees and volunteers at private schools” to carry a handgun or stun gun on educational property, including churches used for educational purposes, when authorized by the school director or school board of trustees. The bill requires the individual to have a concealed handgun permit and have completed at least eight hours of “courses on, or relating to, gun safety and the appropriate use of firearms” in addition to those required to get a concealed handgun permit. This bill does not apply to public schools where there are stricter guidelines establishing which individuals may carry a handgun or stun gun on the property or at extracurricular events. For example, only school safety resource officers providing security at a school or event and who have been assigned by local law enforcement may carry firearms. |
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In contrast to SB 280, which relaxes gun regulations, House Bill 366 “Reenact & Expand Pistol Purchase Permit” reinstates regulations on purchasing a pistol (repealed in 2024) and adds a new requirement for purchasing a long gun (e.g., shotgun, rifle). HB 366 requires people seeking to purchase a pistol or long gun to first obtain a permit to purchase from a sheriff (which requires a background check) or have a valid concealed handgun permit. |
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This week the House took up the version of House Bill 47 “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part 1” passed by the Senate last week. During its time in the Senate, a few changes were made that the House found unacceptable. The House voted against the bill. The Senate version appropriates nearly $35 million more than the version passed by the House. Total appropriations in the Senate version are $534,991,704. It adds $4.5 million for a school extension learning recovery program for public schools to provide supplemental instruction for students in “grades four through eight to address learning losses and negative impact students have experienced due to unusual and extraordinary conditions related to Hurricane Helene in the 2024-25 school year.” On Tuesday, the NCGA appointed a conference committee made up of members of both chambers to negotiate a compromise bill. The committee's goal is to get the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part 1 back on track and support out to all of the affected areas. Even though some severely affected areas are represented by Democratic members, all appointees to the conference committee are Republican members, including some representing districts far from affected areas (e.g., Brunswick, New Hanover). |
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Taxpayer-Funded Private School Vouchers Grow |
On March 6, the NCGA Fiscal Research Division (FRD) provided an update on state funding provided through the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), which manages both higher education financial aid and the K-12 private school voucher program. The 2024-25 school year is the first time families of all income levels were eligible to apply for vouchers. Also for the first time, all private school students, even those who had never attended public school, could apply. As expected, applications rose substantially. The number of students receiving vouchers jumped from 32,549 in 2023-24 to 79,775 in 2024-25. However, more than 42% of the new voucher recipients fell into the two highest income tiers where their incomes are too high to have qualified for vouchers in previous years. Statewide, more than 14 percent (11,445) are in the highest income tier with annual incomes of more than $260,000/year. |
One of the committee handouts broke down the tiers by county, revealing that in several counties, more than half of the voucher recipients are in the highest two income tiers. In Chatham County, 72% are in the two highest income tiers! In Wake County, only 15% of the voucher recipients are in the lowest-income tier (annual income up to $57,720 for a family of four) and 27% are in the highest income tier ($259,750 or more for a family of four). These patterns raise serious questions about appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, especially given the lack of accountability for the funds that are spent in private schools. (Read more in our March 1 newsletter.) As part of its presentation, the FRD also shared the 2025-26 budget appropriation for the state voucher program: $731 million to cover Opportunity Scholarship vouchers and Personal Education Student Account ESA+ vouchers for students with disabilities. |
At a time when public schools remain severely underfunded and disaster relief is stalled, the NCGA should look to shift the excessive private school funding to programs that will help more students and communities! Contact your legislators to share your thoughts! |
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Legislative and SBE Updates |
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| The legislative session continues on Monday with the House convening at 1:00 (livestream) and the Senate convening at 3:00 (audio) Read our Week in Review for a summary of legislative actions and the status of bills. Notable bills with action include: SB 227 "Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education passed through the Senate and will now be taken up by the House. It would prohibit “instruction to students on divisive concepts” and lists 12 “divisive concepts.” It also requires schools to certify annually in writing to DPI that they comply with the bill. HB 353 "“Fair Minimum Wage Act” introduced on March 11 would increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.00/hour (from its current $7.25) starting in January 2026 and would increase it $2.00/year each year until 2030. In following years, minimum wage increases would be indexed to the Consumer Price Index as calculated by the Commissioner of Labor. |
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| The massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education this week made national news and renewed outcries from people from all walks of life and political leanings who care about public education—the foundation of our democracy. Public Schools First NC published a call to action to help you urge your lawmakers to preserve the vital functionality of the U.S.D.E. Read it here and contact your lawmakers! |
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| Are Schools Succeeding? Trump Education Department Cuts Could Make it Hard to Know New York Times, March 12 Deep cuts to staff and funding in the Department of Education will deal a major blow to the public’s understanding of how American students are performing and what schools can do to improve. On Tuesday evening, at least 100 federal workers who focus on education research, student testing and basic data collection were laid off from the Department of Education, part of a bloodletting of 1,300 staffers. Outside of government, at least 700 people in the field of social science research were laid off or furloughed over the past week, largely as a result of federal cuts to education research. The layoffs came just weeks after the latest federal test scores showed American children’s reading and math skills at record lows. Trump administration officials have pointed to those low scores as evidence that the Department of Education had failed. But now the extent of those cuts raise questions about how the federal tests, which provide the data on how students are doing, will continue. Other basic information about schools, along with research about what works to improve them, seems most likely to be degraded or to disappear entirely. Many of those who were laid off worked on projects evaluating math and reading instruction, disability supports and other subjects critical to student learning. READ MORE |
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| This week we highlight North Carolina lawmaker and legend, Eva Clayton. In 1992, Clayton became the first Black female ever elected from North Carolina to the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first Black representative since 1901! Clayton was born in Georgia in 1934, but grew up in North Carolina. She received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Johnson C. Smith Univ. in Charlotte and a master’s degree in biology from North Carolina Central University in Durham. She initially planned to become a doctor, but later decided to pursue law and attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The demands of raising four kids while attending law school derailed her law career, but she became a community leader who first ran for office in 1968. While her challenge to incumbent Rep. Fountain for his U.S. House of Representatives, District 2 seat was unsuccessful, she stayed active in politics. Elected to the Warren County Board of Commissioners in 1982, she served on the Board for the next ten years until being elected as North Carolina’s District 1 House of Representatives member in 1992. In her first year in Congress, Clayton was elected leader of her freshman class. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the next decade until retiring in 2003, Clayton served on the House Agriculture Committee, House Budget and Small Business Committees. She was a relentless champion of rural and agricultural interests during her time in office and even today continues to advocate for improving global agriculture, food security, poverty reduction, rural development, and public education. In 2022, Governor Roy Cooper awarded Clayton the 2022 North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor given by the state. |
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Ed. Leadership Forum with Elena Ashburn |
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| March 27, 7:00 p.m. Join NC PTA and Public Schools First NC for the second installment of our series of interviews with new public education leaders. Dr. Elena Ashburn is the new Senior Education Policy Advisor to Governor Josh Stein. Prior to joining Governor Stein’s staff, Ashburn served as Central Area Superintendent in the Wake County Public School System, supporting 17,000 students in 23 schools. Ashburn has served as a middle and high school principal and began her career in education teaching English at Southern Durham High in the Durham Public School System. In 2021, Ashburn was named the North Carolina Wells Fargo Principal of the Year. The same year, the UNC School of Education awarded Ashburn the UNC Distinguished Alumna Award for her work in education. Q & A with the audience if time allows. REGISTER HERE |
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| Multiple Dates, 7:00-8:30 pm: Resilience and ACES. Learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience. Join us for this award-winning, 60-minute film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope. This documentary examines how abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences affect children’s development & health outcomes in adulthood. This powerful movie is a conversation starter and a perspective changer. REGISTER HERE |
All screenings are on Thursday and include time for discussion. Invite a friend and contact us about setting up a private screening for your school staff, PTA, civic group, church, or synagogue. |
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Words to Remember"In public schools, students have numerous constitutional rights, including equal protection, due process, free speech, and both free exercise of religion and freedom from religion. None of these constitutional protections apply in private schools." — The School Voucher Illusion p. 81 |
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Help us support public schools!Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused solely on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents, teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each child for productive citizenship. |
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