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The Carolina Journal - Katherine Zehnder | June 19, 2026
On June 19, the Freedmen’s Schoolhouse in Smithfield will be dedicated by community leaders after completion of restorations. Out of 169 freedmen’s schoolhouses in North Carolina, this is the only remaining one. Information regarding the Smithfield Freedmen’s schoolhouse, history, and visitor information can be found here.
Friday, June 19, 2026
Highlights
NC Newsline - Lynn Bonner | June 17, 2026
Republican leaders are working through the final disagreements between the House and Senate on the way to legislative approval of a state budget.
House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) and Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) met to talk about the budget on Wednesday. Discussions between the chamber leaders are typically the final step before an agreement is sealed.
“I feel like we are moving in the right direction,” Berger told reporters Wednesday. “We’ve got a ways to go. We’re nowhere close to being finished, but we’re making progress.”
Hall told reporters Tuesday the legislature is on track to pass a budget by the end of the month. Berger agreed a budget by the end of June is “something that is achievable.”
K-12 Dive - Kara Arundel | June 17, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education now has 14 interagency agreements with six other federal agencies, continuing the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency and give states more authority on fiscal and policy decisions.
The four newest agreements, announced June 16, move some special education programming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and certain civil rights, student privacy and desegregation activities to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The moves are part of the Trump Administration’s Returning Education to the States campaign, which aims to break up the ”education bureaucracy” in Washington, D.C., and give parents and districts more responsibility over K-12 education activities.
EdNC - Ben Humphries | June 16, 2026
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has revealed some new details about the federal school choice tax credit that will offer people in participating states up to a $1,700 annual refund for donations made to qualifying “scholarship granting organizations.” A document released by the department reiterates that donations supporting public school students will be eligible for the tax credit, but doesn’t fully elucidate applicable expenses.
North Carolina opted into the federal tax credit program, called the “Education Freedom Tax Credit,” earlier this month following the override of Gov. Josh Stein’s veto. When Stein vetoed the bill enrolling North Carolina in the program, he said he wanted to wait for federal guidance but intended to enroll eventually.
“We need to put more public dollars into our public schools, and I will continue to do everything I can to provide more support for public school kids,” Stein said in a statement after the veto override. “I see potential opportunities for public school students to benefit from this program.”
The Treasury Department has said that full guidance for the program will be released by the end of September. See transcription of the remarks by Kevin Salinger, deputy assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department, here. See a previously released fact sheet here. Finally, read the full provision (Section 70411) detailing the tax credit here.
Task Force on School Accountability
July State Board of Education Meeting
- July 9, 2026 (Virtual Meeting)
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
The NC Public Education Champions Network is a statewide community of people who believe in North Carolina public schools and are ready to say so — in their neighborhoods, on social media, in the press and in the halls of power. Champions are people from every walk of life who share one conviction: that strong public schools are the foundation of strong communities.
Champions take action — in ways large and small, local and statewide. Here is what being part of this network looks like:
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Share the story. Post on social media. Write a letter to your local paper. Speak at a school board meeting, or talk to neighbors at the soccer field. When people hear good news about public schools from someone they trust, it changes minds.
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Lift up educators. Teachers and principals are doing extraordinary work. Champions recognize them, nominate them and celebrate them — publicly and loudly.
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Show up. Attend a school event. Volunteer for a car rider line. Invite a local official to visit a classroom with you. Support statewide campaigns that connect communities to their schools.
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Engage the public conversation. Learn how to talk to the media. Build your presence as a social media voice for public education. Join a community initiative or launch one of your own.
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Connect local to statewide. The strength of this network is that it links your pride in your local school to the larger story of what North Carolina public education is achieving across the state.
NCDPI is supporting their work and growth. Last month, over 35 Champions joined the first training webinar on media skills. Our toolkits are packed with data, ready-to-use talking points and social media posts on everything from school choice options in NC public schools to amplifying end-of-year celebrations. There will soon also be regular virtual Office Hours, a standing invitation to bring questions, swap strategies and connect with Champions across the state.
Learn more about the NC Public Education Champions Network, including how to sign up, here.
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Legislative Lookback: Week of June 15, 2026
The following education related bills had action this week:
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HB 301 Social Media & AI Safety.
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HB 1123 UNC Omnibus & Capital Contracting Law Changes.
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HB 1126 2026 DST Admin/Technical/Clarifying Changes.-AB
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SB 1041 Public Workforce Modernization Act.
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A Look Ahead: Week of June 22, 2026
The NCGA legislative calendar is updated frequently, so be sure to check the NCGA Homepage for the most up-to-date information on committee meetings, voting sessions, press conferences, and more. Current Legislative Calendar
House Calendar | House Chamber Dashboard
Senate Calendar | Senate Chamber Dashboard
Bills in the News:
NC Newsline - Ahmed Jallow | June 16, 2026
Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a teacher pay bill that would give larger raises to veteran educators, arguing that North Carolina has spent years recruiting new teachers while doing too little to keep experienced ones in the classroom. House Bill 1130 would overhaul North Carolina’s teacher salary schedule, restore extra pay for teachers with master’s degrees, protect teacher workdays from administrative tasks, and give local school boards more control over academic calendars. The bill is unlikely to receive a hearing in the Republican-controlled General Assembly, where legislative leaders have already advanced their own teacher pay proposal.
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K-12 Education Bills
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HB 1123 UNC Omnibus & Capital Contracting Law Changes.
Education Bills to Watch
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HB 443 Const. Amendment: Council of State Vacancies.
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HB 451 Diabetes Education for Parents.
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HB 496 Patriotic Youth Group Access.
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HB 832 Education Omnibus.
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HB 1026 Remote Instruction for Excess Emergencies.
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HB 1043 CHCCS Act.
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HB 1086 Child Care Initiative Funds/Reform/Study.
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HB 1110 Early Intervention School Attendance Pilot.
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HB 1124 Interstate Compact for School Psychologists.
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HB 1143 Principal Fellows & MSA Intern Stipends.
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HB 1163 Workforce Act of 2026.
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SB 840 Teacher Licensure Modifications.
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SB 864 Safe and Responsible AI in Schools Act.
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SB 986 Workforce Act of 2026.
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SB 990 Students First Act.
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SB 991 Community College Workforce Readiness Act.
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SB 1006 K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act.
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SB 1044 Foundational Mathematics Act.
Vetoed Bills on the House Calendar for Reconsideration
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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.
- During the 2025-27 biennium, 2,300+ total bills have been introduced so far.
- Of these, 114 bills have become law.
- Of these 114 new laws, NCGA staff have noted 45 laws relate to education in some way.
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