The Week In Review and Looking Forward into Next Week

House Passes Budget – HB 966

This week, the 2019 Appropriations Act, HB 966 passed its third reading in the House. This occurred Friday afternoon after lots of debate and amendments throughout the week during Committee meetings and finally on the Chamber floor. The budget bill has now been sent to the Senate for their consideration and response which is anticipated to be revealed in the coming weeks. The House version of the budget includes $24.5 billion, of which $10.4 billion would go towards K-12 public education. A summary of the education highlights of the House budget are outlined below.

In a time when decisions were being finalized around things such as school safety funding, House members and visitors stood in silence during various General Assembly committees and sessions in support of the victims, students and families impacted by the tragic UNC-Charlotte shooting this week.  This served as a devastating reminder of the how crucial it is that school safety remains a core focus of the spending plan. The House budget reflects more than $60 million going to education grants for mental health personnel, school resource officers, training, equipment, and student crisis resources. 

In addition to the House budget bill crossing over Chambers, many K-12 education bills did as well keeping them eligible for consideration this session. See the Education Bill Crossover section below for a list of these bills. 

The State Board of Education held their monthly May meeting, as well as their bi-annual work and planning session this week. More information regarding these meetings is provided below. 

Next week marks the bill crossover deadline (May 9) for any bill that does not have a financial component. Following that date, no other bills are eligible for consideration. Therefore, it is expected that a multitude of bills will be vetted in committees and sent to House and Senate chambers to be voted on prior to the deadline on Thursday. 

SBE Work Session and Planning Meeting:   The SBE held their Spring work/planning session and their monthly meeting this week. The work session focused on the equity and strategic plans, as well as the early literacy framework and principal pipeline for the public schools. The principal pipeline was timely, given that Principals’ Day was May 1, 2019 and the 2019 Principal of the Year will be announced next Friday.   SBE agendas can be found through the links below: Agenda for April 30 here. Agenda for May 1 located here. Agenda for May 2 located here. Legislative Update Documents (note that final House budget may reflect changes that occurred after the Legislative Update on Thursday) - Bills Overview - Budget Comparison - Budget Summary State Board of Education Members and Biographies here.

State Board Members McDevitt and Willoughby Resign After 18 Years of Dedicated Service SBE Chair Eric Davis announced at this week’s meeting that long-standing Board members, Wayne McDevitt and Tricia Willoughby resigned their positions on the Board after serving more than two terms totaling over eighteen years on the SBE. These Board members have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, with Mr. McDevitt serving as the SBE Vice Chair for six years. In addition to their time spent on the SBE and other public service positions, their most notable service includes Mr. McDevitt serving as Chief of Staff to former Gov. Jim Hunt and Mrs. Willoughby serving as interim State Superintendent as well as spending many years in the classroom.    Their terms expired March 31, 2017; however, unlike recent appointments of the newest SBE members, replacements for Mr. McDevitt and Mrs. Willoughby are subject to approval by the General Assembly. JB Buxton, Jill Camnitz, James Ford and Alan Duncan are appointed by the Governor without confirmation by the General Assembly based on the seats they occupy having been filled by SBE members whose terms had not yet expired. These Board members can remain in place until the General Assembly confirms them or confirms a different Governor nominee to fill those seats. The seats occupied by Mrs. Willoughby and Mr. McDevitt will remain vacant until the General Assembly confirms the Governor appointments.

Budget Process: Release of the House Education Budget 

The House voted Thursday and Friday to pass its $24.5 billion 2019-2020 budget, HB 966. Also known as the the 2019 Appropriations Act, HB 966 ultimately passed its third reading Friday by a vote of 61-51 and will be sent to the Senate. 

Budget Plan Compensation Summary:

• Adds $8M to reinstate advanced degree salary supplements for teachers and instructional support personnel
• Average 4.6% annual pay increase schedule beginning in January 2020, with teachers having 16 or more years of experience receiving new raises on that scale.
• Assistant principals would get an average 6.3% raise, and principals would gain an average 10% increase.
• All other state employees would receive a raise of 1% or $500 beginning in January 2020. Retired teachers and state employees would receive another one-time supplement of 1%

 Highlights from the Education Budget Special Provisions:

• School Safety Grants Programs (H966 Section 7.36)- This program would provide funding for the State Superintendent to award grants to schools for school resources officers, additional school mental health support personnel, services for students in crisis, and safety equipment.
• Economics and financial literacy (Proposed HB 433: Section 7.18.(a)-(j) H966 v3)- Reinstates the provisions that requires instruction in personal financial literacy for all students and that requires the State Board of Education to determine components in addition to those in the statute that will be covered in the curriculum
• 15-point grading scale (Component of HB 362: Section 7.23.(a)-(dd) H966 v3)- Makes the 15-point grading scale permanent and modifies the report card such that school achievement accounts for 51% and school growth accounts for 49% of the overall weighting.
• Advanced Teaching Roles Changes (HB 571/SB 670:Section 7.9.(a)-(e) H966 v3)- Makes modifications to the Advanced Teaching Roles program, including the ability for the SBE to approve any qualifying Local Boards of Education to participate in the program. This may include those who wish to participate even without grant funding. The benefit to these schools would include budget and class size flexibility awarded through the program.
• Competency-Based Math Pilot (HB 1000: Section 7.34.(a) H966 v3)- Establishes the Competency-Based Mathematics Education Pilot Program within DPI (to be administered for five years), with the purpose of allowing students grades 9-12 to advance to higher levels of mathematics courses contingent upon the mastery of concepts and skills, rather than the awarding of course credits. 

• Full list of K-12 education special provisions in HB 966 begins on page 27.

Image Courtesy of the Division of School Business- NC DPI

Important Budget Resources: HB 966: 2019 Appropriations Act here.  Committee "Money" Report - 2nd Edition here. Education Items in the Governor's budget here.  Highlights of the NC Public School Budget 2019 here. NC State Board of Education Budget Response here. NC Department of Public Instruction #NC2030 vision here. Public School Capital Outlays Chart here. North Carolina School Finances website here.

Relevant Bills with Action

K-12 Public Education Bills that have become Session Law

• No K-12 Public Education Bills became Session Law this week.

LINK to all bills that are now Session Law.

Education Bill Crossover   NOTE: The bills listed have been vetted throughout multiple committees over the course of this week as well as have been heard on the floor.   To date this session, 65 K-12 public education bills have passed from one chamber to the other, with 1 education bill becoming session law thus far.    Crossover is the long session date by which legislation without a financial component must pass from the originating chamber into the other chamber, in order for that legislation to be considered during the short session.    The K-12 Public Education bills that made crossover this week are listed below: HB 31:  Allow Durham Pub. Schools to Provide Housing HB 74:  Carry Forward Tip Line App. Funds *NEW Title* HB 375:  Authorize Teacher-Gov't Emp'ee Housing/Bertie HB 521: Transitional License/Teacher from Other State HB 678:  Amend Counselor/SA/Soc. Worker Prof. Acts HB 697: State Surplus Prop. Computers for Nonprofits HB 714:  Competency-Based Assessments HB 735:  Adopt Rules Incorporating 2017 Food Code HB 798:  Low-Performing Schools HB 866:  Clarify Priority Status of Certain Liens HB 895:  Opportunity Gap Task Force HB 924:  Teacher Contract Changes HB 933:  Study Career/Coll. Read. in Perf. Grades HB 966:  2019 Appropriations Act   SB 88:  Electrician Requirements for Certain Orgs SB 295: NC HS Graduation as Evidence of Residency SB 374: Repeal Risky Retirement Payments  SB 438: Excellent Public Schools Act of 2019 SB 478:  Removal Power/Modify Reporting SB 556: GSC People First Language 2019 SB 621: Testing Reduction Act of 2019   Link to K-12 Public Education Bills that made Crossover.      The 2019 Crossover Deadline is Thursday, May 9.

2019 Long Session link for bills impacting K-12 education.

Bills Heard in a Senate/House Committee This Week: 

House Bills 

1. HB 135:  Government Immigration Compliance
2. HB 144:  Hands Free NC
3. HB 536:  ABC Omnibus Regulatory Reform
4. HB 626:  Realistic Evaluation of Actuarial Liabilities 
5. HB 859:  Classroom Supplies to Teachers
6. HB 886:  Study Participation of Operators in NC Pre-K
7. HB 961:  Funds for Workforce Development/Hospitality

Senate Bills

1. SB 30:  33rd Senatorial District Local Act-1
2. SB 38:  Class Size Reporting/Principal
3. SB 123:  Portability of Leave/Charter Schools
4. SB 199:  Child Sex Abuse/Strengthen Laws
5. SB 219:  Modify Teacher Licensing Requirements
6. SB 354:  Student Notice/Charter School Closure/Restr
7. SB 366:  9th/10th Grade/College Transfer Pathways
8. SB 448:  Amend Appt For Compact on Education/Military
9. SB 474:  Clean Up Obsolete Boards
10. SB 487:  Student Meal Debt Policy
11. SB 500:  Modify Advanced Math Course Enrollment
12. SB 522:  Various Changes to Charter School Laws
13. SB 556:  GSC People First Language 2019
14. SB 599:  State and Local Disability Benefit Reform
15. SB 609:  K-12 Scholarship Changes

New Bills Filed This Week: 

House Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)    

• The House ended their bill filing for the 2019 Long Session on Thursday, April 25, 2019
• Total House bills filed - 1013 
• Total House bills affecting K-12 public education - 213

Senate Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)

• The Senate ended their bill filing for the 2019 Long Session on Wednesday, April 3, 2019
• Total Senate bills filed - 673 
• Total Senate bills affecting K-12 public education - 129

Next Week's Education-Related Legislative Calendar

 May 6 -10  Legislative Meeting Calendar

Monday, May 6, 2019 

   9:30 a.m.: House: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House  1228/1327 LB | Audio 

 10:00 a.m.: House: Session Convenes                                                          House | Audio

 12:00 p.m.: Senate: Session Convenes                                                        Senate | Audio

   3:00 p.m.: Senate: Pensions and Retirement and Aging                 1124/1224 LB | Audio
                    SB 399: Rehire High-Need Teachers.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Wednesday, May 8, 2019   

North Carolina General Assembly 

ONLINE RESOURCES:

• Highlights of the NC Public School Budget 2018
• DPI/SBE Reports to the General Assembly
• About the Legislature
• Who Represents Me?
• How a Law is Made
• House Member List
• Senate Member List
• North Carolina Constitution
• House Page Program
• Senate Page Program
• Governor’s Page Program
• Youth Legislative Assembly
• Educational Resources
• An Introduction to the NC General Assembly – Elementary School Ages
• NC Government – Middle School Ages

Legislative Info and Acronyms  This section includes details pertaining to acronyms and bill information referenced throughout the K-12 Education Legislative Update newsletters.   Biennium- A two-year term of legislative activity Public Bill- Legislation enacted into law that applies to the public at large Local Bill- Legislation put into law that has limited application (How many counties)- Local bills do not have to be signed by the governor Sponsor- The legislator who presents a bill or resolution for consideration Resolution- A document that expresses the sentiment or intent of the legislature or a chamber. Resolutions, when finalized, go to the Secretary of State   Glossary of Legislative Terms- LINK   DPI = NC Department of Public Instruction LEA = Local Education Agency NCGA = North Carolina General Assembly LB/LOB = Legislative Building/Legislative Office Building  SBE = North Carolina State Board of Education   AB = Agency Bill HB/SB = House Bill/Senate Bill JR = Joint Resolution SL = Session Law GS = General Statute  PCS = Proposed Committee Substitute  FY = Fiscal Year

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Cecilia Holden  – Director of Government and Community Relations |  919-807-3406
• Anne Murtha  –  Legislative Specialist  |  919-807-3403
• Greear Webb – Legislative Intern

To view previous 2019 Weekly Legislative Updates, click here.

 The NC Department of Public instruction offers a number of topics for subscription.

• To subscribe to the Weekly Legislative Update, click here.
• To subscribe to other NC Department of Public Instruction topics, click here.