Bills We Need to Get Behind |
The House bill filing extension through April 10 gave legislators time to file 215 more bills. Many of the latest bills as well as those previously filed focus on key areas for improving public education through policy and funding changes. These bills are well worth supporting by calling legislators to thank those who filed/sponsored the bills and to urge others to support them. Accountability for taxpayer-funded private school tuition spending got a boost in House Bill 815 “Voucher School Accountability Act,“ a bill that mirrors its counterpart in the Senate (S 744). These bills add accountability measures similar to those for public schools for private schools that accept state dollars. For example, private schools would be required to conduct criminal background checks on staff and have at least 50% of their teaching staff be licensed teachers (same as charter schools). The bill also requires private schools to administer EOG and EOC tests, conduct an annual financial audit, and publish its expenditures in the Uniform Education Reporting System (used in NC to collect financial data for public schools) if the school receives more than $250,000 from the state in any given year. About 61% of the voucher schools receiving taxpayer-funded tuition payments in 2024-25 would qualify for this requirement based on data reported by NCSEAA. In addition, the non-public school would be prohibited from discriminating in admissions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or religion of any student or their family members. Currently, many private schools have discriminatory admissions policies. The private schools would also be prohibited from increasing the costs of tuition and fees by more than 5% in one year. Voucher eligibility returns to a focus on low-income families by removing all income tiers except the current tier 1. To qualify for a voucher, a family would need to have an income at or below the income required to qualify for the federal free/reduced-price lunch program in a given year (about $58K in 2024-25). These families would be eligible to receive up to 90% of the per pupil expenditure amount for public schools the prior year as a private school tuition subsidy. |
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House Bill 807 “Strong Public Schools for a Strong NC” takes major steps to support public education across many fronts. - Raises teacher salaries substantially, reinstates master’s pay and other education-level salary supplements, and raises pay for other staff such as school psychologists.
- Increases supplements for students with disabilities to account for the cost of educating the students. Currently, districts receive a fixed amount regardless of the level of support a student needs.
- Provides funds for breakfast and lunch in public schools at no cost to students according to an allocation based on a needs evaluation. (House Bill 713 “Universal Free Breakfast and Lunch” would provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to students, and House Bill 774 would provide free breakfast to all students.)
- Requires the State Board of Education to develop a process for student device (tablet) upkeep and allocates funds for replacement and repair.
- Revises the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program to include only families making less than 200% of the income required to qualify for the federal free/reduced-price lunch program (about $115K in 2024-25). This is equivalent to the current tier 1 and tier 2 levels.
- Reduces the appropriations to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve starting in 2027-28 and each year thereafter until 2036-37 when the appropriations end.
- Reduces other voucher program appropriations that have been added over the past few years.
Several bills address the teacher pipeline. House Bill 943 “Turning High-Achieving Students into Teachers” has a small price tag and the potential for huge benefits. The bill allocates $100,000/year to the NC Teacher Cadet program, an established, well-regarded program that encourages high-achieving students to become NC teachers. Senate Bill 643 “Expand & Enhance the Teaching Fellows Program” also seeks to attract more high-achieving students to the teaching profession and encourage them to teach in under-resourced communities. The program is currently open to students who plan to teach K-6, STEM, or special education and are enrolled in one of 10 approved educator preparation (EPP) programs. The bill would open opportunities to future teachers of all grades and subjects in any UNC system EPP program. House Bill 531 “Addressing NC’s Teacher Crisis/NTSP” addresses the high attrition rate of beginning teachers. It appropriates funds to increase support for teachers participating in the NC New Teachers Support Program. There are many more bills worth supporting. See our Week in Review for a list of all education-related bills and then contact your legislators! If you see a bill that has some good elements, but you want other portions removed or changed, encourage your legislators to file amendments to the bill. Amendments are often voted on in committee meetings and are an important way to improve bills. |
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NC District Hardest Hit in the Nation by DOGE Cuts |
North Carolina’s U.S. House District 4 represented by Rep. Valarie Foushee currently has more grant and lease terminations from DOGE than any other U.S. House district. District NC-4 is slated to have 108 grants or leases terminated. The second hardest-hit district in the nation has only 44 pending cuts. The Center for American Progress (CAP) released a DOGE cut dashboard that identifies the cuts by district. The darkest red district in the nation (see map below) is home to numerous organizations targeted for cuts. They include UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, the Veterans Administration, the Research Triangle Park with its many research hubs (e.g., EPA, RTI), and many other organizations such as USAID and a Veterans Affairs clinic. The CAP dashboard features an interactive map that provides links to the list of grants on the DOGE cut list for each district. |
The cuts to programs funded by federal grants may drive thousands of North Carolinians into unemployment and put additional strain on our state. The dollars lost for research, technology, and vital programs will impact countless others. The hundreds of millions in lost funding may also jeopardize North Carolina's standing as a national hub of research and higher education. The ripple effects of these losses will emerge over time. Let's hope for success in the legal actions underway to minimize or reverse DOGE cuts. |
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Legislative and SBE Updates |
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| The legislative session continues on Monday, April 14. Keep an eye on the legislative calendar. The crossover deadline is May 8, so committees will be busy discussing and voting on bills in an effort to move them through their chamber before the deadline. Read our Week in Review for a summary of legislative actions and the status of bills. |
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| House Bill 806 “Public School Operational Relief” attacks public schools on two fronts. First, it removes the class size restrictions on K-3 classrooms which would allow schools to increase the number of students per class. Currently, the maximum class size in K-3 ranges from 16-18 depending on the grade and the state pays districts accordingly. By lifting the class size, the state would be free to pay districts for fewer teachers and force districts to pack classrooms. Second, House Bill 806 removes the requirement that 100% of traditional public school classrooms must be staffed by a licensed teacher (or one actively seeking a license). Instead, only 50% of the teachers would need a license and only those teaching math, science, social studies, or English language arts would need a college degree. All other teachers would only need to be 18 or older. To prepare them to teach, they would be required to complete a pre-service training program provided by the district to teach them to identify students with disabilities and manage classroom behavior. This bill seems designed to reduce public school quality requirements down to the minimum required of charter and non-public schools. If our legislators are serious about educating our students, they must maintain high standards and fund our schools accordingly. |
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Public School Students Rebuilding Homes Lost to Helene |
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| High school seniors in the Honors Carpentry class at Mountain Heritage High in Yancy County Schools are building homes for their neighbors who were devastated by Hurricane Helene. In this wonderful segment, ABC News talks to the students and their teacher, Jeremy Dotts, along with a woman who will receive the house they're building. The story of these students' work to build back their community highlights the positive contributions of public schools! |
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Calling on Western NC Educators |
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| Call for Participants: Oral History Project for WNC Educators Affected by Hurricane Helene Dr. Amelia Wheeler (Western Carolina University) and Dr. Morgan Tate (University of Georgia) are launching a research project titled Beyond the Storm: A Tribute to Appalachian Teachers and Their Stories. This oral history project seeks to document the experiences of public school educators in Western North Carolina who taught during and after Hurricane Helene. If you are a K–12 public school educator in the Appalachian region and were working in a school impacted by Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible to participate. Participation includes: - A one-hour, audio-recorded interview conducted at a location of your choice in your community
- A $100 gift card as a thank-you
- Optional review of interview excerpts before public sharing or publication
- A $75 contribution offered to your school district to offset substitute costs (if the interview occurs during the school day)
Interviews will take place between May and September 2025. The project aims to honor educators' stories and make visible the critical roles they play during times of crisis. Interested in participating? Want to know more? Please Contact: |
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| Join us for an evening with vlogger and author Dr. Adrian Wood, Tales of An Educated Debutante. Adrian will talk with us about her new book, Autism Out Loud: Life With A Child On The Spectrum, From Diagnosis to Adulthood. Adrian’s “Tales of An Educated Debutante” is her blog and “vlog” where she “offers personal glimpses where satire meets truth, faith meets irony, despair meets joy and this educated debutante escapes the laundry and finds true meaning in graceful transparency.” With lots of humor and honesty, Adrian shares her experiences as a mom of four and how her youngest child changed their family for the better. You won’t want to miss this fun event! Your $50 ticket includes a signed copy of Autism Out Loud. Refreshments and beverages included. Get your TICKETS HERE. We’re excited to offer a limited number of FREE tickets to public school educators. If you’re a teacher, please contact us at [email protected] for details. |
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| April 24, 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 |
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Words to Remember"Reengaging with public schools, enrolling children in public schools, and working to improve traditional public schools will ultimately reframe the debate…Rather than an individualized, private endeavor, education will truly become an institution for a public, shared, and common good. The fight will not be for my children but for our children." — Jon Hale, The Choice We Face p. 214 |
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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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