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Highlights
NCDPI Press Release | January 28, 2026
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) hosted a press conference to launch "Find Your Fit, Build Your Future," a six-week public awareness initiative designed to help families discover the options available in North Carolina's public schools Throughout the initiative, NCDPI will highlight programs the choice in North Carolina public schools through school visits, social media and the Celebrate the Good blog.
The launch of this initiative coincides with National School Choice Week, which aims to raise awareness of K–12 education options. Over the coming weeks, NCDPI will showcase the variety of choices available in North Carolina public schools and share the stories of the educators, parents and students who experience them every day.
“Every child learns differently and every family has different priorities,” Green said. “Our job is to make sure families know about what is available and help them find the right fit. This is what public education is all about.”
Choice in North Carolina Public Schools by the Numbers
- 229 magnet schools with specialized programs
- 138 early college high schools
- 211 charter schools across 61 counties
- 42 Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings
- 38% of all NC graduates enrolled in at least one dual enrollment course during high school with 95% earning credit
- NC College Connect offered direct admission to 30+ colleges and universities, with 88,000 offers accepted and 23,000 students participating in the 24-25 school year
- 98%+ graduation rate for CTE concentrators
- 135+ online courses through NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS)
- 60,000+ graduates have earned the Seal of Biliteracy in the last decade, demonstrating proficiency in English and at least one of 17 languages
- 4,200+ school counselors, 1,544 social workers and 810+ school psychologists supporting student mental health
- 62 STEM Schools of Distinction
A full recording of the press conference can be accessed here.
EducationWeek - Mark Lieberman | January 26, 2026
Parts of the federal government—including the U.S. Department of Education—could shut down again starting this weekend. If Congress doesn’t approve the Education Department spending bill by the Jan. 30 deadline, that agency would shut down for the second time in three months.
More than 2,000 staffers would be furloughed, according to the shutdown plan Secretary Linda McMahon published last fall. And many of the department’s daily activities would come to a halt, including running new grant competitions and conducting civil rights investigations. A prolonged shutdown could delay department staffers’ efforts to prepare funding that schools expect to receive in the coming months.
Many school districts have begun bracing in recent months for a dramatic reduction in federal funding through key formula programs. The Trump administration proposed reducing federal investment in K-12 schools by $7 billion a year, though lawmakers have since proposed several budget drafts with less dramatic cuts. The bipartisan, bicameral spending deal that lawmakers unveiled earlier this month and that passed the House assuaged some of those concerns, proposing level funding or slight increases for virtually every existing Education Department program.
February State Board of Education Meeting
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Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 10 a.m.
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Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 9 a.m.
2026 State Board of Education Meeting Dates
- March 4-5, 2026
- April 1-2, 2026
- May 5-7, 2026 *Planning and Work Session
- June 3-4, 2026
- July 9, 2026 (Virtual)
- August 5-6, 2026
- September 2-3, 2026
- September 29 - October 1, 2026 *Planning and Work Session
- November 4-5, 2026
- December 2-3, 2026
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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NCDPI Press Release | January 27, 2026
Nine North Carolina educators have been named regional Teachers of the Year in recognition of their outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.
“These nine individuals represent the very best of public education,” said State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green. “From differentiating instruction for every child to coaching sports teams to planning schoolwide initiatives, their impact goes far beyond the walls of their own classrooms. Their excellence is an inspiration.”
The finalists for NC Teacher of the Year are:
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Northwest: Gina Holste - Valle Crucis School (Watauga County Schools)
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North Central: Shannon Campbell - Wilson Early College Academy (Wilson County Schools)
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Northeast: Heather Dail - Hertford Grammar School (Perquimans County Schools)
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Piedmont Triad: Jonathan Lancho Villa - Pilot Mountain Elementary School (Surry County Schools)
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Southeast: Cason Justice - Swansboro High School (Onslow County Schools)
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Southwest: Melissa Hollar Culp - St. James Elementary School (Lincoln County Schools)
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Western: Nishelle Henson - Macon Middle School (Macon County Schools)
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Sandhills: Manzell Spencer, Jr. - Douglas Byrd Middle School (Cumberland County Schools)
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Charter: Stephanie Lane - Lake Norman Charter School
On April 24, one of these excellent educators will be named the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year during an awards ceremony at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary. The event will be livestreamed on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook. Learn more about the NC Teacher of the Year program on the NCDPI website. Follow along on social media at #NCTOYPOY.
Read the entire Press Release here.
Scheduled Education Committee Meeting
K-12 Education Bills
Bills To Watch
The following bills have been placed on the House Calendar for Monday, February 9, 2026, although no votes are currently expected.
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HB 87 Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA).
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HB 171 Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI.
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SB 50 Freedom to Carry NC.
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SB 153 North Carolina Border Protection Act.
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SB 227 Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
Reminder: Bills ≠ Laws
Only a few dozen bills typically make it “across the finish line” and become law each legislative session.
- For the current 2025 legislative session, 1,800+ total bills were introduced.
- Of these, 108 bills have become law so far.
- Of these 108 new laws, NCGA staff have noted 42 laws relate to education in some way.
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North Carolina General Assembly
2026 NCGA Candidate Information
Voters affiliated with any political party may vote the ballot of candidates for their party only. Some recognized political parties in North Carolina may not have primary ballots. Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote any one political party’s ballot or a nonpartisan ballot (if available). A voter cannot vote in more than one party’s primary.
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Feb. 6, 2026: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).*
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Feb. 12, 2026: In-person early voting begins.
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Feb. 17, 2026: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).*
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Feb. 28, 2026: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
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March 3, 2026: Primary Election Day.
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March 3, 2026: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).*
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*Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters.
The NCGA is currently scheduled to reconvene on the following remaining dates pursuant to SJR 776: Adjournment Resolution Changes. Legislative action on these dates, if any, is still to be determined:
o Feb. 9, 2026 - Feb. 12, 2026
o March 9, 2026 - March 12, 2026
o April 6, 2026 - April 9, 2026
o April 21, 2026 — Start of 2026 Short Session
State Budget Information & Resources
2025 State Budget Proposal
2025 Enacted "Mini Budgets"
2023 State Budget
Other State Budget Resources
K-12 Education Legislation Resources
Enacted Hurricane Helene Recovery Legislation
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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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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
U.S. Department of Education | January 2026
In the first year of the Trump Administration, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon made significant progress in fulfilling one of President Trump’s most ambitious campaign promises: returning education to the states.
ED Took Concrete Steps to Return Education to the States and Empower Parents in Their Child’s Education By:
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Partnering with several agencies to break up the federal education bureaucracy and refocus programs and activities to better serve students, including: workforce development programs, and K-12 programs, and postsecondary programs;
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Touring a variety of public, private, charter, magnet, and micro schools in 24 of 50 states to empower families and hear from students, teachers, and leaders on best practices in their own communities;
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Awarding $500 million to the Charter Schools Programs, the largest investment in the program ever;
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Championing the largest federal expansion of education freedom in history;
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Urging states to expand education choice by using up to 3% of their federal Title I allocation to support education choice initiatives;
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Encouraging states to continue to maximize parent options for choosing the safest school setting for their children.
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Providing guidance to states so that they can prioritize school improvement dollars to districts that will turn around underperforming schools and give students school choice options;
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Advising states to use waiver to maximize opportunity and improve students’ academic achievement;
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Releasing additional guidance on how states might provide equitable services for students enrolled in private schools in more efficient and effective ways to best meet students’ needs; and
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Issuing guidance to states on the Ed-Flex option to encourage local innovation.
North State Journal - A.P. Dillon | January 29, 2026
With the March 3 primary approaching and early voting underway, there are several key races worth keeping an eye on. Candidate lists, as well as primary and general election voting information, can be found on the State Board of Elections website at NCSBE.gov.
The News & Observer - T. Keung Hui | January 28, 2026
There is no publicly available testing data for how North Carolina's more than 100,000 private school voucher students are performing. Private schools are required to give nationally-normed standardized tests each school year to Opportunity Scholarship students and to report the data to the state. But the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) says the data is either not public record or is not in a form that can be publicly released.
The number of voucher students has tripled in the last two years to 104,599 as of January. The increase was made possible by state lawmakers increasing state funding and opening the voucher program to all families, including wealthy ones and those already attending private schools.
The majority of the state's private school students are now receiving a voucher of between $3,458 and $7,686 per year to help cover tuition and other costs. The program is on pace to spend a record $575 million this school year with more funding increases planned.
"As the (Opportunity Scholarship) Program has expanded, so has the demand for clear information about student learning in schools that accept Opportunity Scholarships," the report sent to state lawmakers in December said.
The state report also considered a recommendation to create public dashboards summarizing performance of students at schools receiving Opportunity Scholarships. The report said this would increase transparency and help families make educated decisions about where they spend their voucher dollars;
The authors said the dashboards would provide more public information about private school performance but would also require increasing NCSEAA staffing. Ultimately, the authors include the idea in a section called recommendations outside the study's scope.
Click here to subscribe to the weekly legislative update or other NC Department of Public Instruction topics.
To view previous K-12 Education Legislative Updates, click here.
NCDPI Office of Government Affairs: Anne Murtha – Legislative Specialist
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