SB 582:  Budget & Agency Technical Corrections

Senate Bill 582, entitled “Budget & Agency Technical Corrections,” has been a major item of debate this week at the General Assembly.  This bill addresses numerous areas of the newly-passed state budget, including public education.  

The 2017 budget bill contained language pertaining to principals who were paid on the school-based administrator pay schedule.  The legislation was included to ensure these principals would not receive less during the 2017-2018 fiscal year under the new 2017 principal pay plan than they would have under the prior pay plan which allowed for longevity.  SB 582 includes language to address those principals who were paid on a teacher’s salary that were unintentionally not addressed in the budget bill.  The State Board of Education (SBE) held a meeting this week, during which the principal pay plan was discussed.  After receiving input from Legislative Director Cecilia Holden and board members, SBE Chairman Bill Cobey sent a letter to lawmakers thanking them for their efforts on principal pay and asking them to extend these changes into the 2018-19 fiscal year.

SB 582 also clarifies that funds from the lottery-supported Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund must be used for the construction of new school buildings, rather than new “capital projects” as stated in the original version.  

Lawmakers also amended a program supporting highly-qualified teaching graduates from North Carolina educator preparation programs.  The bill updates the scores required for applicants to qualify to receive a performance supplement under this program if they are hired on or after the effective date.

Furthermore, if SB 582 becomes law, LEAs planning to apply for a grant under the Career and Technical Education Grade Expansion Grant Program will have until November 30, 2017 to submit their application, rather than November 1 as originally planned.  

North Carolina’s 2017 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Jason Griffin also is the state’s 2017 National Distinguished Principal. The Hertford Grammar principal will join 61 elementary and middle-level educators chosen by the states, the District of Columbia, and private and overseas schools for their efforts to set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character and climate for the students, families and staff.

“Congratulations to Jason. While he continues to win accolades at the state and national level, his real impact is on the students at Hertford Grammar School,” North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson said.

Griffin said he was honored to receive this national award. “This recognition is a reminder of the hard work that our team at Hertford Grammar has put forth to help our school and students move forward. Our teachers and staff have embraced my leadership and have played a major role in my success,” he said.

A graduate of East Carolina University and Elizabeth City State University, Griffin has worked the majority of his educational career at Hertford Grammar School, having been a third grade teacher, dean of students and principal-elect. He has served as the school’s principal since 2014. Other recognitions include Teacher of the Year in Martin and Perquimans counties, and National Distinguished Principal in Digital Learning in 2014.  

Next week (Oct. 12-13), Griffin will travel to Washington, D.C., where he will spend two days participating in activities planned to honor and bring well-deserved recognition to this year’s recipients.

The National Association of Elementary School Principals’ National Distinguished Principals program honors outstanding elementary and middle-level principals who ensure that America's children acquire a sound foundation for lifelong learning and achievement. Selection criteria require that the individual is a practicing principal with at least five years of experience in the principalship who plans to continue as a practicing principal. The principal also must demonstrate evidence of outstanding contributions to the community and to the education profession.

The General Assembly and State Board of Education recognized a group of North Carolina high school students who won Microsoft student competitions both on the state and world level.  We are very proud of their success and look forward to the great things they will accomplish in the future.

For more information on these students and their achievements, please see DPI's press release at this link.

See this link for a complete list of bills impacting K-12 education.