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October 18, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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NCGA Spending Time on Partisan Maps Instead of Budget

Lawmakers are back in Raleigh on Monday. But their primary focus isn’t
going to be working on the long overdue budget. Senate President Pro
Tempore Phil Berger and Speaker of the House Destin Hall announced that
their first order of business will be to pass a new congressional map to
create an additional Republican-leaning district and consider overriding
some of the bills vetoed by the Governor.

North Carolina has 14 US House of Representative members. The current
district map was set by the NCGA in October 2023 for use starting with the
2024 elections. In 2024, using the new maps, 4 Democrats and 10 Republicans
were elected to the US House of Representatives. Districts 1, 2, 4, and 12
are represented by Democrats. The remaining 10 districts are represented by
Republicans (see map).

CURRENT MAP

On Thursday, the proposed [7]map was released (see map below). If adopted,
the new map will be effective starting with the 2026 elections. It
reconfigures Districts 1 and 3 to make District 1 more Republican-leaning.
Rep. Davis, a Democrat, won the district by about 2 percentage points in
2024. The new District 1 is drawn to include residents who voted for
President Trump in 2024 by a margin of 55% to 44% making it much less
likely that Rep. Davis will retain his seat in 2026.

PROPOSED MAP

The 2023 (current) map was passed after a 2023 ruling by the NC Supreme
Court that struck down a February 2022 NC Supreme Court redistricting
ruling. The controversial 2023 ruling came after the November 2022 election
changed the court’s makeup from a 4-3 Democrat majority to a 5-2 Republican
majority.

In 2022 the NC Supreme Court ruled that the maps drawn by the legislature
in 2021 represented an unconstitutional gerrymander. The Court appointed a
special master to draw nonpartisan maps to be used in the 2022 election.

The 2022 nonpartisan map resulted in 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans being
elected to the US House of Representatives.

Congressional maps are typically drawn once every 10 years after new census
results are released. If the NCGA is successful, the new map will be the
third since 2022. If the stated goals are met, the new 2026 congressional
map will be a further departure from fair representation of voters (see
graph below).

In October 2025, the percentage of registered Democrats and Republicans in
North Carolina is virtually identical, and the both are lower than the
percentage of Unaffiliated voters (see pie chart).

Why the new map? In his statement announcing the plans to redraw
congressional districts, Speaker Hall said the[8] intent of the new maps is
to help preserve the Republican majority in the US House of Representatives
in the 2026 election and maintain Republican control of Congress so
President Trump can continue to enact his agenda.

However, according to a [9]new poll conducted in late September, a majority
of North Carolinians reject partisan gerrymandering. Seventy-six percent of
all respondents said that partisan gerrymandering should not be legal in
North Carolina and 84% said that partisan gerrymandering is never
acceptable.

North Carolina is more than three months into the 2025-26 fiscal year and
is still operating at last year’s funding levels because the NCGA has not
finalized a budget. Instead of doing the important work needed to negotiate
a budget that will support the programs people need, legislative leaders
are spending precious time and energy on new congressional maps.

The [10]House Select Committee on Redistricting and [11]Senate Elections
Committee are accepting public comments on the proposed plan.

You can [12]submit comments here.

Special Education Decimated in Federal Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is in its third week with no end in sight.
[13]Federal workers across the nation have been furloughed (not working,
not being paid), are working without pay (“excepted employees”), or are
working and being paid through means other than annual appropriations. Only
about 13% of the federal workforce is currently working and being paid.

[14]Approximately 87% of the employees at the Department of Education have
been furloughed.

A 2019 law guarantees federal employees back pay after the shutdown ends,
but the administration has suggested that it [15]may not provide back pay.

The administration has also followed through on threats to lay off federal
workers during the shutdown by sending out reduction-in-force (RIF) notices
to about [16]4,200 employees.

The departments responsible for overseeing special education were
especially hard hit. Nearly all staff in the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) were cut, leaving states without
critical management of special education funding and programs.

Fortunately, on Wednesday a federal judge [17]temporarily blocked the
administration from firing employees during the shutdown. However, the jobs
targeted by the administration are still at risk as the RIF notices signal
which jobs are most likely to be cut in the future.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) guarantees children with
disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). Although
states are required to fund these services, the federal government spends
billions of dollars each year to help states pay for special education. In
addition, states must provide data annually showing that they are complying
with IDEA requirements.

Federal law requires an Office of Special Education within the U.S.
Department of Education to oversee and manage special education
funding/programs. The recent layoffs seem to conflict with this law by
reducing staffing to a level where federally mandated services are no
longer provided.

Legislative and SBE Updates

The Senate and House return to Raleigh on Monday, October 20. Check the
[18]legislative calendar for updates; meetings are likely to be
added/changed throughout the week.

Monday
* 10:00 a.m. Senate Elections committee ([19]stream)
* 10:00 a.m. House convenes ([20]stream)
* 10:00 a.m. Senate convenes ([21]audio)

Wednesday
* 1:00 p.m. House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform ([22]stream)

Read our [23]Week in Review for a summary of recent legislative activity.

Contact elected officials and send a customized email to let them know your
budget priorities. You can send an email directly to the lawmakers who
represent you or you can send one to the NC budget conferees who are
working on the budget [24]HERE.

We also encourage you to call your lawmakers and if you can, visit their
offices in Raleigh or your local community to share your priorities.

Early Voting Has Started

Early voting in local elections for 2025 started on October 16 in the 91 of
100 counties holding elections this year. Early voting runs through
Saturday, November 1 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.

Local elections are critically important to communities. Please take the
time to research candidates before you vote this year.

Are you registered? [25]Find out here.

If you’re not registered yet, you can register during the early voting
period. Check to make sure you have all of the required documents before
you go.

Check here for the[26] list of offices up for election (you can search by
county), [27]early voting sites, and answers to all of your [28]election
questions.

You can also get personalized ballot (by address) and voting information at
the [29]LWV website.

Don't Miss Our Webinar!

Wednesday, October 22, 7 -8 p.m. Public Schools First NC is hosting a
special event with Dr. Diane Ravitch to discuss her new book, published by
Columbia University Press, [30]An Education: How I Changed My Mind About
Schools and Almost Everything Else. You don't want to miss this great
conversation.

With honesty and grace, Diane retraces her journey from her Houston
childhood to her service in the government, including a stint in the
Department of Education, and her eventual transformation into one of our
fiercest defenders of public schools. Blending personal reflection with a
historian’s rigor, Diane explains how she came to embrace equity,
professional teachers, and democratic public education, becoming an
inspiring activist whose life’s work continues to uplift the promise of our
public schools. There will be time allowed for Q&A.

Make a tax-deductible donation to Public Schools First NC and we will mail
you a copy of this wonderful book! Your donation helps us keep working to
protect and strengthen our public schools. [31]Donate

[32]REGISTER HERE

Dear North Carolina General Assembly Members...

Last week’s [33]newsletter encouraged readers to email the budget conferees
(the House and Senate members in charge of negotiating the budget), the
NCGA, and our US senators and representatives using our templates at
Contact Elected Officials. In addition to emailing the conferees and NCGA
members, many readers also shared their letters with us. Below is one
example:

By Kelly Herman, K-12 Assistant Principal at Falls Lake Academy, NC

My name is Kelly Herman. I’ve spent the last 24 years teaching children in
Granville County. This year I moved into an Assistant Principal role in
hopes of being able to afford our current economy and to explore a
different side of my talents and abilities. I didn’t leave the classroom
because I hated teaching. Quite the opposite; I loved it! I enjoyed
building relationships with students, partnering with families, and helping
students achieve their personal best. Thankfully, I enjoy my new position
too, but I am not the norm. Most people who leave the classroom do so to go
outside of education to find higher paying jobs. Many aren’t leaving
because they want to, but because they can’t afford to stay.

When I went into education, I knew I wouldn’t get rich from this
profession. I didn’t know the economy would freeze in 2008 and things would
be downhill with teacher pay from that point on. Education is a hot topic
in every election, but promises are never fulfilled from either side. It
has become glaringly obvious that our leaders do not support veterans in
our profession. How else can you explain first year teachers making $41,000
while someone with 25 years of experience makes $55,950? How does this
encourage people to go into education or want to stay? Years 15-24 are also
frozen on our pay scale. Are there other professions where years of
experience are disrespected in this way?

[34]READ MORE

In Case You Missed It

[35]Legislators: Do your job

[36]NC approaches 100,000 private school voucher students. What it means
for the state

[37]Fourteen NC School Districts Receive Healthy Meal Incentive Awards

[38]Why Trump's SNAP cuts could affect free NC school lunches starting next
year

[39]Educators turn to state after feds cut "Farm to School" program

[40]As vouchers near 100,000, first evidence of churn can be seen

Making NC Public Schools the Best in the Nation - Pillar 7

Pillar 7 of [41]Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025-30 Strategic Plan
for North Carolina Public Schools is Celebrate the Excellence in Public
Education

Families all across North Carolina send their children to their local
public school – in fact, the vast majority of them do choose public
education…Our schools did not become bright beacons of hope all on their
own. Generations of North Carolinians are proud of our public schools,
share their support for schools and have made the choice to invest in them
and make them strong, which is noteworthy. It is vitally important that
these choices are celebrated and that more make similar choices.

Pillar 7 includes four measures of success. Two are shown here:
* Establish a baseline and increase the number of public information
officers (PIOs) and other public school communicators engaged in this
initiative.
* Establish a baseline and increase family, student and community
satisfaction, knowledge and perception of public schools.

To achieve these goals, the plan identities actions grouped into three
focus areas. Each focus area includes multiple actions and target
completion dates. One example action is shown for each focus area:

Develop comprehensive public education messaging
* Create accessible and engaging materials about how public education
works and is managed in North Carolina. (March 2026)

Engage partners on education
* Engage, align and support PSU communications staff to align
communication efforts that celebrate public education. (December 2025)

Share public education messaging and stories
* Work with education partners on statewide communication efforts that
uplift success stories, testimonials and positive narratives about public
schools. (December 2025)

Superintendent Green is traveling around the state to share the plan and
engage stakeholders. Find locations and times at the [42]NCDPI website
(scroll down the page to Regional Tour). Upcoming events in October are
shown below:
* Oct. 20, 6 p.m. – Southwest Region – West Charlotte High School
(Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
* Oct. 22, 5:30 p.m. – Northwest Region – Robert L. Patton High School
(Morganton, Burke County Public Schools)
* Oct. 23, 6 p.m. – Western Region – Swain Arts Center (Bryson City,
Swain County Schools)
* Oct. 27, 6 p.m. – Sandhills Region – Lumberton High School (Lumberton,
Public Schools of Robeson County)
* Oct. 29, 6 p.m. – North Central Region – Chapel Hill High School
(Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)

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.

[43]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.
* October 23, 2025
* January 22, 2026
* February 26, 2026
* March 26, 2026

Words to Remember

"What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the
community want for all of its children. Any other ideal for our schools is
narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy."

— John Dewey (1907)

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.

[44]DONATE HERE

[45]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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