March 22, 2025

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Governor Stein's Budget Proposal

Governor Stein’s [7]initial budget request released on Wednesday sets out
his major funding priorities for the 2025-27 budget. The proposal will be
refined over the next few months and a Hurricane Helene relief proposal is
still coming, but this week’s release represents the governor's key
priorities.

Beginning teacher pay is increased from $41,000 to $44,500 in 2025-26 and
$51,200 in 2026-27. These bumps move North Carolina from the lowest of our
surrounding states to one of the highest in the southeast. Salaries for
more veteran teachers also increase; teachers with 5 years of experience
will receive an $8,450 increase over two years, while those with more than
15 years of experience will receive about $3,200. Taken together these
increases represent an average of about 10.6% over the biennium.

Governor Stein’s proposal takes many more steps to support students and
educators:
* Restores 10% master’s pay supplements to teachers whose advanced
degrees are in the subjects they teach.
* Funds all students with disabilities, even in districts whose numbers
exceed the 13% cap.
* Funds a 6.5% raise for correctional officers and youth counselors.
* Adds a child tax credit of up to $300 for a family of four.
* Provides funding for 330 additional school health personnel, including
school counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists.
* Funds 330 new elementary and middle school resource officers positions
each year.
* Provides universal school breakfast at no cost to families.
* Enables public schools to continue providing K-12 students with a
laptop.
* Reinstates a sales tax holiday for school supplies (removed by
lawmakers in 2014).

Stein’s proposal also includes a $4 billion bond to modernize old and
outdated school buildings. However, his proposal lacks a clear pathway for
meeting all of the requirements of fully funding the Comprehensive Remedial
Plan (Leandro Plan) as ordered by the 2022 N.C. Supreme Court.

To help fund his initiatives, Governor Stein has suggested cutting the
private school voucher program so tax dollars flow to the public rather
than private interests. He also recommends [8]freezing the corporate income
tax cuts. Currently at 2.25%, the corporate income tax is set to drop to 0%
by 2030.

You can read the complete budget request [9]here.

Say NO to Dismantling the U.S. Dept. of Education!

On Thursday, the White House issued an Executive Order to dismantle the
U.S. Department of Education. Titled “Improving Education Outcomes by
Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” it directs the Secretary of
Education “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all
necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education
and return authority over education to the States and local communities
while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services,
programs and benefits on which Americans rely.”

However, just last week, more than 1,300 staff at the Department were
[10]laid off, including nearly all those in charge of the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, the only national program focused on
tracking student achievement over the years.

[11]Superintendent Mo Green warned that North Carolina's schools could lose
up to $1.5 billion federal dollars if the Department doesn’t continue
funding programs at their current levels. Teacher education programs in the
state have already [12]lost more than $90 million in federal grants in an
early round of cuts just days after Secretary McMahon was confirmed.

The federal student loan programs managed by the Department have already
experienced some setbacks as the site where families apply for federal aid
(FAFSA) was temporarily inaccessible last week.

Also in question are funding to support low-income schools as required by
Title 1 legislation and funding to support special education and ensure all
students receive appropriate instruction as required by IDEA. The
administration claims that these functions will be moved to other
departments, but it has also [13]closed U.S.D.E Office of Civil Rights
offices that are charged with enforcing the laws.

An end to the U.S. The Department of Education requires action by the U.S.
Senate because the Department was established by Congress. At least 60
senators (a supermajority) must agree to abolish the agency, which means
that several Democrats will need to join Republicans to make it happen.

Please fight for our public schools and our communities by fighting to keep
the U.S. Department of Education fully staffed and functional. Contact your
elected officials and urge them to reject the administration's effort to
dismantle this essential Department

[14]Write a Letter to U.S. Congress

Proposed Math Cuts Jeopardize College Admissions

A new bill filed on Monday would remove Math 3 as a graduation requirement
and allow high schools to offer Math 3 “to the extent that there is
sufficient student interest.” [15]House Bill 415 “Split Math Courses and
Change Math Grad. Reqs.” also requires the State Board of Education to
develop courses of study that split the content of the current NC Math 1
and 2 courses over four courses titled Extended Math 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Primary sponsors are Reps. Willis (Union), Biggs (Randolph), Cotham
(Mecklenburg) and Rhyne (Lincoln)

According to the bill, completing Extended Math 1, 2, 3, and 4 “shall
satisfy all mathematics graduation requirements established by the State
Board of Education.”

Missing from the bill is a recognition that current MINIMUM
[16]undergraduate admissions requirements for the University of North
Carolina institutions includes completion of Math 3 or its equivalent AND
one unit beyond NC Math 3. (The NC Math 1, 2, 3 series is essentially
equivalent to Algebra 1, Algebra II and Geometry.)

House Bill 415 seems to be a way for lawmakers to sidestep their obligation
to provide quality instruction to help students meet challenging standards.
Instead of raising teacher salaries and giving students the support needed
to succeed in NC Math 1, 2, and 3, bill sponsors are lowering expectations
and damaging students’ future opportunities. It is shameful and cynical for
lawmakers to lower standards at public schools while sending millions of
tax dollars to private schools.

Don’t let lawmakers rob our students of the skills and future opportunities
they deserve! 

Legislative and SBE Updates

The legislative session continues on Monday. Check the [17]legislative
calendar for updates as things are moving quickly.

Read our [18]Week in Review for a summary of legislative actions and the
status of education-related bills.

[19]House Bill 420 "Sound Basic Education for Every Child" was introduced
this week as a vehicle for the NCGA to finally fund public education as
directed by the state constitution. The funding amounts in the bill align
with the requirements of the Comprehensive Remedial Plan (Leandro Plan)
developed to identify specific funding/programs that would enable the state
to provide a sound, basic education to every child. This bill deserves a
swift pathway through the NCGA to Governor Stein's desk!

Easier Access to Guns will Make Schools LESS Safe

[20]House Bill 5 "NC Constitutional Carry Act” and its companion [21]Senate
Bill 50 “Freedom to Carry NC” have been moving their way through the NCGA.
On March 20, SB 50 passed through the Senate along party lines. Both bills
lower the legal age for a person to carry a concealed handgun from 21 to 18
and removes the requirement to obtain a permit to carry a firearm. As a
result, firearms training, criminal background check, and safety courses
are no longer required.

Perhaps anticipating more deaths due to the relaxed regulations, SB 50 also
increases the amount paid for line of duty deaths for law enforcement
officers and establishes a scholarship for children of permanently disabled
or slain NC law enforcement officers. It also increases the punishment for
firearm assault of certain emergency personnel including medical and law
enforcement.

Current law:
* Must be 21 or older
* Complete firearms safety course
* $80 fee
* Residency requirements and background check

Proposed law:
* Must be 18 or older
* No safety training or background check
* No fee
* No background check

Not surprisingly, [22]law enforcement officers and medical professionals
spoke against the bills. As the country deals with school shootings, this
law raises concerns about the easy access to guns putting students and
educators in greater danger.

[23]Youth gun deaths in the U.S. have grown 50% since 2019 and in 2023,
firearms were the leading cause of death among U.S. youth for the third
year in a row. These statistics alone should raise enough concerns for
lawmakers to halt HB 5 and SB 50. .

[24]Contact your House member to urge a halt to SB 50!

In Case You Missed It

[25]NC House bill would criminalize using public money for DEI

[26]NC bill overhauls high school math graduation requirements. See what
could change.

[27]USDA cancels $11 million in federal funding for North Carolina food
banks

[28]School cellphone ban moving forward in NC House

[29]Durham lawmakers file bill for creation of affordable housing for
teachers

Check out our Voucher Video - Spanish Version

Public Schools First NC partnered with [30]ISLA (Immersion for Spanish
Language Acquisition) to create a Spanish language version of our short
video explainer about North Carolina's school vouchers. Please share
widely!

¿Qué Sabes Acerca de los Vales Escolares de Carolina del Norte?

[31]Watch the Voucher Video

Our Shared Inheritance: The Promise of Education in Every State

The North Carolina School Boards Association's newest episode of their
podcast (The Board Table) features Derek Black, prominent legal scholar,
education historian, and author of [32]Dangerous Learning: The South's Long
War on Black Literacy.

Each state in the union has outlined their own set of foundational
liberties, rights, and opportunities that guide the everyday lives of
generations to come. Though each state contains its own distinct set of
obligations for its respective government, there are common threads, and an
important commonality is that of education. In all 50 states, each
constitution establishes the promise of an education for each of its
residents and cements the importance of access to learning into their
founding documents.

Black explores this principle and discusses the historical context and
implications of a state government's obligation to provide education.

Access the [33]podcast here.

[34]Make a tax-deductible donation to Public Schools First & we will mail
you his new book.

Ed Leaders

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.

[35]REGISTER HERE

Mark Your Calendar!

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.

[36]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.
* March 26
* April 24

Words to Remember

“During the civil rights movement, Whites vehemently resisted integration,
putting forth insidious mechanisms to preserve their privileges and
investment in a segregated system, most notably through 'freedom of choice'
plans."

— Jon Hale, The Choice We Face

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.

[37]DONATE HERE

[38]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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