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Highlights
The Charlotte Observer - Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi | June 26, 2025 - After months of bill filings and back-and-forth negotiations, North Carolina lawmakers have ended the primary portion of this year’s legislative session — without passing the state budget, one of their most important tasks. As a result, thousands of state workers and teachers won’t see salary increases and the state will keep running on funding levels set by the prior budget. Republicans also did not pass an adjournment resolution, which formally ends the session and limits what actions lawmakers can take. The Senate passed a resolution, but the House did not take it up. The Senate passed its budget in April. Then the House passed its budget in May. With no compromise in sight, the House this week passed two mini-budget bills that included average teacher raises of 6.4% for 2025-26 and a 2.5% annual salary increase for most state employees starting July 1. Meanwhile, the Senate passed its own spending bill, a 44-page measure that funds agencies and programs. Neither chamber approved the other’s more limited spending proposals. Hall added that senior appropriations chairs plan to meet during the upcoming break to discuss the budget and attempt to resolve differences.
EdNC - Hannah Vinueza McClellan | June 27, 2025 - While the Republican-led General Assembly adjourned for at least two weeks without passing a budget for the new fiscal year — which begins July 1 — the House and Senate passed an updated version of House Bill 1012, “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II,” before adjourning on Thursday afternoon. The bill says interest earned as of June 30, 2025 from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund — estimated at $56.3 million — will be allocated to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Of that, $25 million will go to Yancey County Schools “for total rebuilds of destroyed public school infrastructure and buildings damaged by Hurricane Helene.” An additional $31.3 million would go toward the Capital Recovery Funds for Public School Facilities Program. HB 1012 would also allocate $8 million to DPI to disperse as competitive grants “to repair public school infrastructure or buildings damaged by Hurricane Helene.”
U.S. Department of Education Press Release | June 26, 2025 - The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education today sent a letter to all chief state school officers providing guidance on how states can use their federal formula funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to both expand education choice and turn around failing schools. Read the full letter here. In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families, this letter follows previous guidance letters on improving parental choice that focused on direct student services and the unsafe school choice option provision.
K-12 Dive - Kara Arundel | June 26, 2025 - A national private school choice tax incentive is inching closer to reality as Republican-led proposals dedicate funding for the controversial reform effort in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” now moving through Congress. The Senate proposal released this month commits $4 billion per year in tax credits for contributions to a scholarship-granting organization that could be used toward tuition or other expenses at public, private and religious K-12 schools. The House plan, which was narrowly approved in May, would dedicate $5 billion a year for a national private school choice program.
State Board of Education
July State Board of Education Meeting
- Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 9 AM - Virtual Meeting
About the State Board of Education
YouTube recordings of SBE meetings HERE.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
Finalists Announced for NCCAT 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC CTE Teacher of the Year Award
North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Press Release | June 11, 2025
Twenty-four outstanding educators from across North Carolina have been named finalists for the NCCAT 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award. These educators exemplify outstanding commitment, excellence, and ability to inspire and empower their students.
Finalists will participate in a week of professional development at the Truist Leadership Institute in Greensboro, N.C., from December 1–5, 2025. The winner will be announced during a special ceremony on December 4, 2025, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
Meet the Finalists
- Megan Colvard, Ashe County Schools
- Sarah Lawrence, Bear Grass Charter School
- Lacey Grogan Davis, Buncombe County Schools
- Heather Rose, Carteret County Public Schools
- Sarah Chandler, Caswell County Schools
- Patty Berge, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
- Tina White, Cleveland County Schools
- John Owens, Cumberland County Schools
- Darren Moore, Dare County Schools
- Paige Walker, Hickory Public Schools
- Olivia Atchley, Iredell-Statesville Schools
- Susan Perdue, Johnston County Public Schools
- Gary Andersen, Kannapolis City Schools
- Jessica Jones, Lenoir County Public Schools
- Larry Pickens, Macon County Schools
- Staci Shaw, McDowell County Schools
- Mike Bartholomew, Nash County Public Schools
- Trey Moore, New Hanover County Schools
- Michaelle Overman, Perquimans County Schools
- Ashley Gilbert, Polk County Schools
- Mark Walker, Randolph County Schools
- Johnny Jessup, Sampson County Schools
- Neil Smith, Scotland County Schools
- Lauren Murphy, Surry County Schools
Read the entire article here.
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K-12 Education Bills
Bills eligible to be filed in 2025 with no deadlines:
- Redistricting bills for House, Senate, Congress, or local entities.
- Ratification of amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
- Bills providing for action on gubernatorial nominations or appointments.
- Appointments by the General Assembly.
- Adjournment resolutions.
- Bills introduced on the report of the House Committees on Appropriations, Finance, or Rules.
Bills in the News:
WRAL News - Emily Walkenhorst | June 26, 2025: NC lawmakers send new school cellphone bill to Stein. Here's what it would do - Every North Carolina school board would be required to restrict the use of cellphones and other wireless communication devices in schools, with a few exceptions, under legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly this week. House Bill 959 would also require schools to teach students social media literacy, ban access to TikTok on campus, ban teachers from using TikTok to promote school activities and require schools to implement certain internet safety and security measures, if they haven't already.
WECT 6 News - Ava Brendgord | June 25, 2025: Bill to end DEI in public schools gets House approval, heads to the governor’s desk - Senate Bill 227, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County, passed its third reading in the State House Wednesday after a 67-48 vote. The bill passed through the State Senate back in March. The bill’s text says it is “An act to demonstrate the General Assembly’s intent that students, teachers, administrators and other school employees recognize the equality and rights of all persons and to prohibit public school units from promoting certain concepts that are contrary to that intent”.
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New Laws Affecting K-12 Education
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1.
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HB 378
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Various Ed Law/Tax Acct/NIL Changes.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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2.
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HB 549
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Clarify Powers of State Auditor.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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3.
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HB 576
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Dept. of Health and Human Services Revisions.-AB
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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4.
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HB 737
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DOI Omnibus Bill.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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5.
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HB 805
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Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2025
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6.
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HB 928
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Allow PTs in School Concussion Protocol.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/24/2025
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7.
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HB 959
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Various Education Changes.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2025
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8.
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HB 1012
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Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part II.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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9.
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SB 77
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School Contracted Health Services.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/25/2025
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10.
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SB 124
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State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/26/2025
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11.
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SB 125
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Various Education Changes.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2025
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12.
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SB 227
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Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2025
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13.
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SB 600
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Improve Health and Human Services.
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Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2025
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If the General Assembly is in session, the governor has 10 days to either sign or veto the bill.
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If the General Assembly has adjourned, the governor has 30 days to take action.
- If the governor does not act within the applicable time frame, the bill automatically becomes law without their signature.
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North Carolina General Assembly
K-12 Education Legislation Resources
Enacted Hurricane Helene Recovery Legislation
State Budget Information & Resources
2025 State Budget Proposal
2023 State Budget
Other State Budget Resources
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Useful Acronyms
DPI = Department of Public Instruction
GS = General Statute
HB/SB = House Bill/Senate Bill
JR = Joint Resolution
LB/LOB = Legislative Building/Legislative Office Building
LEA = Local Education Agency
NCGA = North Carolina General Assembly
PCS = Proposed Committee Substitute
PSU = Public School Unit
SBE = North Carolina State Board of Education
SL = Session Law
For the glossary of education acronyms/terms, click here.
For the glossary of legislative terms, click here.
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NCDHHS releases toolkit with information about childhood vaccines
EdNC - Anna Pogarcic | June 25, 2025
Summer may have just begun, but as families prepare for a new school year, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has launched a virtual toolkit for health care providers with resources on childhood vaccines.
The bilingual guide is “designed to help health care providers and families start a conversation about childhood vaccines,” according to NCDHHS. “The toolkit offers clear, accessible resources to ensure parents have the information they need to protect what matters most — their children’s health.”
The guide includes flyers and fact sheets that talk about the different kinds of vaccines that are recommended for children, as well as conversation guides about how to talk to parents and caregivers about vaccination.
State law requires that children get certain vaccines to attend public schools, child care, and even colleges and universities. You can learn more about the specific vaccine requirements here.
The toolkit from NCDHHS comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is changing how it approaches vaccination policies.
Visit vaccinesforkids.nc.gov to access downloadable toolkit materials in English and Spanish and updated webpages with easy-to-understand information on childhood vaccines.
An interactive provider map available online can help connect families with local providers who offer free childhood vaccines for eligible children and teens through the Vaccines for Children program.
Read the entire article here.
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Third annual Financial Aid Summit brings together hundreds of North Carolina leaders
EdNC - Alli Lindenberg | June 23, 2025
Have you declared your E — Enroll, Employ, or Enlist? That’s the question that hundreds of financial aid leaders were presented with at the third annual Financial Aid Summit in June held over two days in Winston-Salem. The three E’s is an approach schools have used to ensure more students have a plan for after high school, one of the main themes of the summit.
“Financial aid is a team sport,” said Melany Reeves Clark, the director of communications and marketing for myFutureNC.
Speakers at the summit provided leaders with the latest information to understand the upcoming changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), one of the most critical and common routes for postsecondary financial aid.
Why does FAFSA matter?
The FAFSA form determines student eligibility for federal financial aid. The application is needed in order for students to know if they qualify for federal grants, work-study funds, and loans.
The FAFSA is free to complete and provides students with access to a potentially large source of financial aid to support paying for their higher education. Many states also use the FAFSA to determine student eligibility for state and school aid.
The House and Senate budgets at the federal level are currently going through reconciliation. Some items in those budgets that may impact student financial aid include:
- Changes to student financial aid eligibility.
- Establishment of workforce Pell grants.
- $10.5 billion to address the 2025 Pell grant program shortfall.
- Policies that would mean students can’t receive Pell grants if they’re enrolled in school less than half time and an increase in the needed number of credits taken per year from 24 to 30.
- The Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act aims to change FAFSA rules that count farm and small business assets and restore their exemption from being counted as part of a family’s net worth.
You can find updates and more resources about FAFSA on the DOE’s website.
Read the entire article here.
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To view previous K-12 Education Legislative Updates, click here.
NCDPI Office of Government Affairs: Anne Murtha – Legislative Specialist
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