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Friday, February 27, 2026 |
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Highlights
EdNC - Chantal Brown | February 25, 2026
Gov. Josh Stein and State Superintendent Mo Green posed with students and administrators during a Guilford County Schools visit in February 2026. Chantal Brown/EdNC
Gov. Josh Stein and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green visited Bluford STEM Academy in Greensboro on Wednesday to highlight literacy instruction during Public Schools Week.
Public Schools Week is held each year Feb. 23-27. In his proclamation of the week, Stein encouraged residents across North Carolina to support public schools and educators by advocating for funding and celebrating the good that is happening in schools.
Stein and Green both talked about the need for lawmakers to pass a comprehensive state budget that invests in teachers and public schools. EdNC has previously analyzed the Senate and House budget proposals.
“Our public schools open doors of opportunity for students, providing them with the education to learn new knowledge and skills, explore their passions, and prepare for the workforce,” Stein said in a press release. “If we believe our children are our future, then we must invest in them.”
“When we invest in our public schools, our students can achieve educational excellence,” Green added, noting recent state records broken in four-year graduation rates, Advanced Placement (AP) participation rates and scores, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) credentials earned.
March State Board of Education Meeting
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Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 10 a.m.
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Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 9 a.m.
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
NCDPI Press Release | February 25, 2026
While five high school finalist teams competed in the annual North Carolina Jr. Chef cook-off this month to create unique school lunch entrée recipes, the “Gold Standard” team from CHASE High School (Rutherford County Schools) won first place in the 2026 NC Jr. Chef Competition. Their “Egg Roll in a Bowl” recipe won top honors in the competition and a silver medal.
The “Tastebud Trailblazers” team from Erwin High School (Buncombe County Schools) won second place and a silver medal for their sweet and spicy vegetarian “Sweet Spudilla,” a warm, golden-grilled whole-grain quesadilla filled with creamy sweet potatoes, seasoned black beans and a bold blend of cheeses paired with a kale and apple salad.
The “Food Benders” from Martin County High School (Martin County Schools) won third place and a silver medal with their “Gator Island Bowl,” a flavorful curry chicken featuring island spices, served on a warm rice medley. Fourth place went to the “Whisk Takers” from South Lenoir High (Lenoir County Schools) for their comfort food classic “Cheesy Chicken Waffle Bowl” paired with sauteed collards, and the “Blazin’ Bulldogs” from Thomasville Senior High School (Thomasville City Schools) took fifth place for their creative, flavorful “Jerk Chicken with Mofongo.
All teams showcased their knowledge and skills in the culinary competition. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green offered his congratulations to all teams.
The Junior Chef Competition was created to inspire the next generation of culinary professionals, stimulate interest in locally produced agricultural products, increase participation in School Nutrition Programs, provide nutrition education and encourage healthy eating habits. The NC Jr. Chef Competition was planned by the Offices of School Nutrition and Career and Technical Education at the Department of Public Instruction in partnership with the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Farm to School Program, Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina and the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina. Additional information about the NC Jr. Chef Competition is available online. More information regarding School Nutrition Programs in North Carolina can be found on the Office of School Nutrition website.
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K-12 Education Bills
Bills To Watch
The following bills have been placed on the House Calendar for Monday, March 9, 2026.
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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
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 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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Celebrate Arts in Our Schools Month
Student Performances
Please join the NCDPI Office of Teaching and Learning Arts Education Team to celebrate the excellence in public education and recognizing the importance of arts programming in our K-12 schools as we showcase the artistic talents of these North Carolina Students. Join us for in-person performances throughout downtown Raleigh and live-streamed performances and virtual visual arts galleries in celebration of Arts in Our Schools Month this March. All viewings are from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and are free to attend or watch on YouTube.
Northwest Guilford Middle School Orchestra, Guilford County Schools
- Tuesday, March 3
- Location: NCDPI Room 150
NC Arts Council Poetry Out Loud Winners
- Thursday, March 5
- Location: SECU Daily Planet Theatre
- Anika Ryder (winner NC finals 2025)
- Alyssa Melvin (2nd place NC finals 2025)
Wednesday, March 4
- Carver Elementary & Poe GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary Schools
- Wake County Public Schools
North Carolina General Assembly
House and Senate Page Program
The House and Senate Page programs offers current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors the opportunity to learn about, and participate in, the legislative process of our state. It is a four-day long experience that allows high school students to observe firsthand how our laws are made.
In Other News
K-12 Dive - Kara Arundel | February 25, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education is shrinking its federal footprint in line with President Donald Trump’s gameplan — in part by partnering with other federal agencies on grant management, technical assistance and other tasks.
Between May 2025 and Feb. 23, 2026, the Education Department announced nine such interagency agreements with four agencies. The agreements detail the duties the other agencies will take on and the Education Department’s remaining responsibilities. See detailed table in this article for interagency agreements and dates.
For related news, see also: and U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Partnerships to Break Up the Federal Education Bureaucracy
EdNC - Sophia Luna | February 26, 2026
On Feb. 9, NC DHHS released a report detailing the state’s progress on improving its behavioral health system. The report is a one-year update on the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services’ (DMHDDSUS) 2024-2029 strategic plan and demonstrates the division’s progress on improving mental health services across the state.
Separately, an October 2025 presentation from DMHDDSUS Director Kelly Crosbie and two of her NC DHHS colleagues provides a more detailed update on the programs that the $835 million investment has funded.
Funds that appear to directly impact school-aged children are those under child welfare and family well-being (CFWB) investments. According to the October 2025 update, CFWB investments were “strategically targeted to improve the health and well-being of youth and family,” with key themes including increasing the availability of evidence-based practices in children’s communities, supporting children in foster care, and investing in specialty residential care.
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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