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NCDPI Press Release | January 21, 2026
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is seeking schools and fiscally responsible community organizations to serve as sponsors for NC Summer Nutrition Programs in 2026 to help ensure children who have limited access to food at home get the educational enrichment and nutritious meals they need for optimal growth, development and overall well-being.
SUN Meals are in-person meals eaten in a group setting. Meals or snacks are served at locations such as public housing centers, faith-based organizations, libraries, parks, camps, medical centers or schools. In addition to meals, sites can offer fun, engaging educational activities. SUN Meals To-Go are meals offered for pick up or delivery in some rural communities where transportation to summer meal sites can be difficult. How SUN Meals To-Go are distributed vary by sponsor and may include meals picked up by a designated adult, multiple meals provided at once or meals delivered to neighborhoods or homes. Meals are served at all sites to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Sponsor applications for NC Summer Nutrition Programs are due March 1, 2026. Potential sponsors are advised to plan ahead as the application involves a multi-step process for completion and approval. To learn more about NC Summer Nutrition Programs and how your organization may become involved in providing summer meals to youth in your community, please visit the NCDPI Summer Nutrition Program website or contact the NCDPI Summer Nutrition Program team.
Read the entire Press Release here.
WUNC News - Adam Wagner | January 15, 2026
Gov. Josh Stein wants the General Assembly to put $5 million in recurring funds to ensure North Carolina can access a summer food program for kids.
The SUN Bucks program started in 2024, helping to feed almost 1.1 million kids in North Carolina in its first year. Last summer, it provided more than $121 million to help more than a million kids.
But to receive a $125 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Carolina needs to provide $5 million in matching funds.
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The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recognizes the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families through the Purple Star Award. This special designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.
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In Other News
North State Journal - A.P. Dillon | January 23, 2026
National School Choice Week returns this year from Jan. 25-31 with 55 flagship events scheduled nationwide, including school fairs, capitol celebrations, and student-led and community events.
More than 28,000 schools are participating in and planning events to celebrate, according to the National School Choice Week website. In Raleigh, there will be a student showcase held Jan. 29 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Fletcher Opera Theatre at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts at 2 E. South Street. The event, sponsored by the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools, will include student performances and an art showcase featuring submissions from students across North Carolina.
EdNC - Ben Humphries | January 21, 2026
In December, a third-party audit was released by the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) that highlights the most up-to-date numbers on North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) sales, revenue, and contributions to education in fiscal year 2025. The audit showed that, despite increased lottery revenue, there was a decrease in net revenue transferred for education purposes from FY 2024 to FY 2025.
In FY 2024, the NCEL reported $5.4 billion in total revenue, with $1.07 billion of that going into the North Carolina Education Lottery Fund, which was then allocated to various education programs. The remainder goes to the costs of operating the lottery. The largest expense category is prize payouts, which took up about about 70% of the lottery’s total revenue in FY 2024. In FY 2025, total revenue increased to $6.6 billion, but the NCEL’s contribution to education slightly lowered to $1.05 billion.
According to a press release, the overall percentage of revenue contributed by the NCEL to public schools has decreased from 23% in FY 2023, to 20% FY 2024, to 16% in FY 2025. The legislation that governs the lottery has a guideline that says 38% of the total annual revenues of the lottery should go to education, “to the extent practicable.”
EducationWeek - Brooke Schultz & Lynn (Yunfei) Liu | Updated: January 23, 2026
Education Week is tracking state decisions on the first federal tax-credit scholarship. Congress in July included a tax-credit scholarship in the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act, allowing taxpayers to claim tax credits in exchange for donations to organizations that grant private school scholarships. For more information on state private school choice programs, visit our tracker of state programs.
Border Belt Independent - Heidi Perez-Moreno | January 13, 2026
The federal government approved more K-12 education visas for North Carolina in 2025 than any other state except Texas. Now that might be grinding to a halt.
International teachers make up a small fraction of North Carolina’s 90,000 public school educators. But advocates say they fill a crucial role, particularly in rural districts plagued by teacher shortages. In 2025, 213 H-1B visas were approved for K-12 educators in North Carolina—more for any other state in the nation except Texas, according to the National Education Association.
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NCDPI Office of Government Affairs: Anne Murtha – Legislative Specialist
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