Lots of Summer Break...Little Time Taken for Lawmaking

After adjourning on June 26 without having completed their one main job—passing a two-year budget—the NC General Assembly returned to Raleigh July 29 to undertake substantive work for just a few days this week.

Now they are back on another summer break until August 26 without passing a new two-year budget thus stalling pay raises, the hiring of needed staff, and has created uncertainty in planning and operations which is impacting the well-being of state employees and teachers.

Their few days in Raleigh were full of action.

FEDERAL VOUCHERS - More money for private school vouchers

First on the docket was hijacking House Bill 87 "Cell Phone-Free Education,“ a popular cell phone bill. Lawmakers removed the language that had already passed the House and replaced it with language authorizing the state to adopt the federal tax credit voucher program signed into law July 5 as part of the federal budget (see new bill). HB87l passed both chambers with a new name "Educational Choice for Children Act" and has been sent to Governor Stein. The House and Senate votes fell mostly along party lines with just two Democrats (Reps. Cunningham and Willingham) voting in favor. The new bill allows even more taxpayer dollars to be used for private school vouchers without adding any accountability. This tax shelter will siphon more tax dollars away from public programs to allow wealthy families to pay for private school tuition.

VETO OVERRIDES

The House and Senate held veto override votes on 8 of the 14 bills Governor Stein has vetoed so far this session. Because the Senate has a veto-proof majority in favor of Republican members, the Senate vote outcome is never in question. In the House, Republicans needed at least one Democrat to join them in an override vote and they got it for 8 bills. Two vetoed bills that directly affect K-12 education had their vetoes overridden by both House and Senate:

SB 254 "Charter School Changes" further erodes the role of the NC State Board of Education in charter school oversight by giving sole authority to the Charter School Review Board appointed mostly by legislators.

HB 193 "Firearm Law Revisions" makes it easier to have guns at private schools by allowing employees or volunteers in private schools (including those located in churches) to carry a firearm or stun gun.

Several bills have not yet been taken up by the House for an override vote. The Senate has already overridden Governor Stein’s veto of these bills, but there is still time to contact your House member and urge them to sustain the veto:

SB 50 "Freedom to Carry NC" allows those over 18 to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

SB 227 "Eliminating DEI in Public Education" Defines and prohibits instruction on “divisive issues” and bans diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in K-12 education.

SB 558 "Eliminating DEI in Public Higher Ed." also defines divisive issues and prohibits diversity, equity, or inclusion practices in all UNC system schools/universities and community colleges.

Read more about the bills and learn which lawmakers voted to override Governor Stein's vetoes.

MINI BUDGET

Instead of sticking around to hammer out a complete budget bill that includes raises for educators and state employees, the NCGA kicked the can down the road by passing a mini-budget, HB 125 "Continuing Budget Operations." This budget essentially keeps the spending levels in place but does allow the state salary step increases for teachers to take effect and adjusts allocations for schools with either growing or shrinking student populations.

It's not too late to contact your legislators to urge them to create a state budget that fully supports public schools!

Vouchers Increase Private School Tuition!

When NC made taxpayer-funded private school tuition vouchers universally available starting in the 2024-25 school year, many private schools raised tuition prices to take advantage of the state funding. Watch our short video to learn more!

Find out more in our fact sheet about how North Carolina's voucher program has contributed to private school tuition increases.

Legislative and SBE Updates

Both House and Senate have adjourned until August 26.

Check the legislative calendar for updates.

The State Board of Education’s Charter Schools Appeals committee will meet on August 4 at 4 p.m. VIRTUALLY in a called meeting - Appeal from Decision of the Charter Schools Review Board Not to Renew the Charter of Agape Achievement Academy. Those wishing to follow the appeal can access the livestream here.

Meeting information can be found here.

The State Board of Education meets August 6 (10:00 a.m.) and 7 (9:00 a.m.). You can livestream the meetings here and find the agendas here.

Good News! Congress Halts Proposed Cuts to Public Education!

Congress is pushing back forcefully on the massive cuts the federal administration is making to education.

On July 31, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations rejected most of the administration's proposed cuts to education funding, medical research grants, health initiatives, and Ukraine security assistance.

In bipartisan agreement, senators increased funding in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill for fiscal year 2026. The bill also included language to require formula grant funding to be released to states on time to prevent problems such as this summer's withholding of nearly $7 billion in education funding from states.

The spending bill also holds the maximum annual Pell Grant award steady instead of reducing it by $1,700 as proposed by the Trump administration. Pell Grants help low-income students pay for college.

READ MORE

New Report - Charter Schools in Decline

The National Center for Charter School Accountability (NCCSA) has just released the first report in a three-part series: Charter School Reckoning: Decline, Disillusionment, and Cost.

Part 1: Decline, presents "sobering findings on the stagnation, retrenchment, and accelerating closures plaguing the charter school sector as it enters its fourth decade."

Despite clear evidence of decline, federal funding for charter schools has increased to $500 million annually.

The report documents that in the first half of 2025 alone, 50 charter schools announced closures, many without warning. Nearly half of these 50 schools had received a combined $102 million from the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP).

Our New Report is also shared on NPE's website!

TRIO Helped Me Get to College, Now it Needs Our Help

TRIO Helped Me Get to College, Now It Needs Our Help

By Citlalli Braulio-Madrid - Student at NC State University - Intern PSFNC

When someone asks who helped me get to college as a first-generation college student, my answer is simple, “TRIO”. The follow-up question is always, “What’s TRIO?” and that’s where the conversation usually begins, because most people have never heard of it.

But now more than ever, we need to talk about TRIO. We need to advocate for it. This program that has helped me and thousands of others is at risk of being cut.

TRIO is a set of federally funded programs that are under the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to support students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities as they move through their academic journey, from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.

There are eight TRIO programs, but I want to focus on three that directly impact K-12 students in North Carolina.

Democracy Day September 15: Spotlight on Rodney D. Pierce

There's still time to get a great book, enjoy some summer reading, and help support our work! Over the past few years we have partnered with some incredible authors to share their work with you.

Our conversations with many of them can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

If you donate, $50 or more, we will send you a book of your choice. You will receive a great book and your donation is tax-deductible!

Need a speaker for your next event or group meeting? PSFNC welcomes the opportunity to speak to your group or organization on public education-related topics.

We offer our programs virtually to improve accessibility and attendance and therefore extend your reach. Our services are free of charge but may require travel-related expenses if the program is in-person.

Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Words to Remember

We need... “an unflinching embrace of the value of public schools to kids, families and communities, and a blunt calling out of the damage being done to those schools by the reckless privatization schemes of recent years.”

— David Pepper, Lesson: Public Schools Are a Winning Issue, Everywhere

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.

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]