Number 10

Nearly $400 Million Awarded in Needs-Based School Construction Grants

"More than two dozen school districts across North Carolina will share nearly $400 million in new state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction, renovation projects and other capital improvements.

Among the projects to be funded by the grants, aimed at districts in economically distressed counties, are 14 new or replacement school buildings, including four high schools, a Career and Technical Education Center, and a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school.

The grants, awarded under the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, represent the largest annual allocation under the program, created by the General Assembly in 2017 from state lottery revenues. The grants are in addition to the state’s lottery-supported Public School Building Capital Fund, from which all districts receive an allocation each year."

Read the full press release here.

Number 9

64 New Students Inducted into NCVirtual Japanese Honor Society

On April 28, 2022, the NC Virtual Japanese Department held its second annual Japanese National Honor Society induction ceremony. They were honored to have Consul Kazuyuki Takeuchi, Consul General of Japan stationed in Atlanta, and Kumi Kobayashi, Director of AATJ (American Association of Teachers of Japanese) say a few words at the ceremony. A total of 64 new members were inducted at this ceremony, which could possibly make the NC Virtual charter the largest in the nation. The number of students taking Japanese this semester is 435, which is an increase of approximately 100 students since spring 2021.

Learn more about the Japanese Honor Society and other extra-curriculars offered through NCVirtual here.

Number 8

Video: Pre-K Promising Practices

In this video, senior leaders and staff from McDowell and Polk County Schools share how they blend state and federal funds to expand Pre-K in their school districts.

Watch the full video here.

Number 7

Cooperative Innovative High School Application Cycle Now Open

School districts and higher education partners interested in applying to open a new Cooperative Innovative High School (CIHS) may jointly submit a Letter of Intent to NCDPI by June 15, 2022. This particular dual enrollment opportunity for students is one the best opportunities in our state! Visit Applicant Information for details. CIHS applicant teams will be invited to a CIHS Applicants Orientation on June 30. NCDPI and the Joint Advisory Committee will support applicant teams in the development of the CIHS application, which will be due to NCDPI by October 3, 2022. 

If you have questions about the CIHS application process, please contact CIHS@dpi.nc.gov

Number 6

Help NC Reach FAFSA Completion Goal

Our state's 2022 FAFSA completion goal is 65%, and we are currently hovering at 44%. The official nationwide campaign ends June 30. This is the date by which data is analyzed and we can project how much federal grant money NC students have left on the table. Please help remind students of the funding options at their fingertips!

Learn more at CFNC.org.

Number 5

Perspective Piece: A Teacher Appreciation Week Thank-You Note from Superintendent Truitt

"Hello everyone, and happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

As State Superintendent, I wanted to take a moment and express my gratitude and admiration for everything you do.

I have long believed that the only people who can possibly know what it’s like to be a teacher are people who teach or who have taught. To know what it’s like to delight in the face of a third grader who finally writes a paragraph all by herself is to be a teacher. To lie awake at night gripped with self-doubt about the decision to refer a seventh grader to the principal is to be a teacher. To cry to a colleague because a senior’s sick mother is not going to make it to graduation is to be a teacher."

Read the full version here.

Number 4

Henderson County School Nutrition Director Named National Director of the Year by School Nutrition Association

Robert Rolfe, Henderson County School Nutrition Director, was just named National Director of the Year by the School Nutrition Association. In 2017, he helped roll out a summer meals program that now serves students at several school sites and from two buses with 22 “Meals on the Bus” stops in the community. During the summer of 2020, the district had multiple school sites open and expanded its “Meals on the Bus” routes to feed students during the pandemic.

Read more here. Congratulations, Robert! Thank you for your service to our state.

Tomorrow, Friday, May 6, is #SchoolLunchHeroDay, or #SchoolNutritionHeroDay as we celebrate in North Carolina. We are so grateful for the school nutrition heroes and the difference they make in the lives of our students!

Number 3

Monthly NCDHHS-DPI Joint COVID Webinar Follow-Up

If you were unable to make this month's DHHS-DPI Joint Call, please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov for follow-up call materials.

Number 2

2022 Facts & Figures: Education in North Carolina guide is now available!

BestNC's newest edition of Facts & Figures: Education in North Carolina, featuring data about students, educators, schools, education finance, and student achievement in North Carolina. Visit BestNC.org to download a copy today!

Number 1

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

We could not be more proud of or thankful for North Carolina's teachers. The work you all put in, both inside and outside of the classroom, to be the best educators you can be for the 1.4 million students our public schools serve is invaluable. Thank you for everything that you do.