Friday, June 26, 2026
Highlights
WUNC News - Adam Wagner | June 24, 2026
The N.C. House of Representatives has had several outstanding veto overrides on its calendar every day throughout the legislative short session. Wednesday afternoon, it took up four of those overrides, with the help of two lawmakers who skipped the votes.
Bills becoming law include one banning diversity, equity and inclusion policies in public schools (Senate Bill 227), another banning them at public universities (Senate Bill 558) and another forcing state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal border patrol enforcement (Senate Bill 153).
The House also sent a bill (House Bill 171) that would ban DEI policies in state agencies to the Senate, where Stein's veto likely will be overridden.
All four House votes Wednesday were 71 to 47 along party lines, allowing Republicans to narrowly reach the three-fifths margin they needed. The veto overrides come in the waning days of the short session, even as Republican leaders insist they are close to a budget agreement.
NC House Overrides Four Additional Stein Vetoes to Eliminate DEI, Strengthen Public Safety
Speaker Destin Hall Press Release | June 24, 2026
The North Carolina House of Representatives voted to override four more of Governor Josh Stein’s vetoes on legislation ending taxpayer-funded DEI programs and boosting public safety. Today’s action brings the House’s total number of overridden vetoes this biennium to thirteen.
NC House Speaker Destin Hall said, "By overriding four more of Gov. Stein’s vetoes today, we’re improving public safety and ending taxpayer-funded, divisive DEI policies for good. Once again, the House has stood firm and ensured Governor Stein and his liberal agenda won't get in the way of common sense legislation."
Office of Governor Josh Stein Press Release | June 24, 2026
Governor Stein released the statement below in reaction to the override of his vetoes on Senate Bill 153, Senate Bill 558, Senate Bill 227, and House Bill 171:
"As the legislature leaves teachers and law enforcement officers waiting for hard-earned and desperately needed pay raises, members of the General Assembly are stoking the culture wars that divide us rather than fulfilling their long-overdue responsibility of passing a budget. It's time for them to do their jobs for the people of North Carolina. Instead, they are overriding my veto on bills to whitewash the diversity that makes our state strong and to take state law enforcement officers away from their existing state duties, forcing them to act as federal immigration agents."
NC DPI Press Release | June 25, 2026
The North Carolina public school system, with its historic academic achievements, educates all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, religion or ability. We seek to provide each and every student what they need to be successful, and we strive to serve them in safe and affirming environments.
With that context, Senate Bill 227, Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education, raises concerns about what it could mean for those very qualities that make North Carolina's public schools strong. Moreover, we believe the law leaves educators with genuine questions about how to apply it, since, for example, it restricts instruction on certain concepts while expressly and appropriately preserving the teaching of difficult history, including the historical oppression of people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity and religion.
Regardless, we trust that our legislators will join us in supporting our public school educators as they continue to do what they do best- helping students think deeply and critically about a wide range of important issues, respect and appreciate people of varied backgrounds and characteristics, and prepare for their next phase of life.
EdNC - Mebane Rash and Hannah Vinueza McClellan | June 23, 2026
From closing the U.S. Department of Education to the impact on special education, the predictability of federal funding, the federal budget, the E-Rate, disparate impact theory and systemic racism, the federal choice tax credit, and Title IX, here is an update on how changes in policy and law in Washington, D.C. will impact students and schools.
Contents
- What’s the end game with closing the U.S. Department of Education?
- Interagency agreement will shape the provision of special education moving forward
- Will federal dollars flow on July 1?
- What’s happening in Congress with the federal budget?
- What is the E-Rate, and why is it being reviewed?
- The next step in eliminating the use of disparate impact theory
- The new federal choice tax credit and launch of Workforce Pell
- Title IX challenges in NC districts
Government Executive - Sean Michael Newhouse | June 23, 2026
Layoffs at the Education Department during the first two months of President Donald Trump’s second term resulted in the agency being unable to perform legally required activities, according to a report published on Monday by the department’s inspector general.
The watchdog found that many Education suboffices were left without any staffers due to reductions in force and various separation incentives, which hindered the department’s ability to perform dozens of statutory and oversight functions between Jan. 20, 2025, and March 31, 2025.
July State Board of Education Meeting
- July 9, 2026 (Virtual Meeting)
NC State Board of Education in the News:
EdNC - Hannah Vinueza McClellan | June 22, 2026
The State Board of Education’s Task Force on Accountability for Public School Units continued its work to redesign North Carolina’s school accountability system last Thursday, discussing its charge and working recommendations from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The task force’s third meeting focused on reaching agreement on the group’s first cluster of performance indicators: achievement, growth, and extended graduation rate.
“What we’re trying to attempt today is to identify consensus to guide the future state accountability system design and continue allowing that work to move forward as we review and refine these and get to a final product at the end of the year,” said Curtis Sonneman, acting director of DPI’s Office of Accountability, during a presentation to the task force.
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
North Carolina students bring home 79 national medals; ranks top five in attendance
NC DPI Press Release | June 23, 2026
North Carolina’s career and technical education (CTE) students brought home 79 medals from the 61st annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference — the second-highest medal total of any state in the country. The state’s community college students played a leading role, earning 47 of those 79 medals. North Carolina public school students in middle and high school earned 32 additional medals.
Held June 1-5 in Atlanta, the conference drew more than 19,000 registrants and 7,000 competitors from across the country. North Carolina was represented by more than 530 students, instructors, administrators, parents and supporters from 74 schools and colleges statewide, and finished in the top five among all states in delegation attendance.
Across the full North Carolina delegation, 270 students competed in 178 contests. Twenty-nine percent finished as medalists, and 69 percent placed in the top ten of their events. In all, North Carolina student-contestants earned 25 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze medals. Every one of them had to win first place in their event at the SkillsUSA North Carolina State Conference in April to reach the national stage.
“North Carolina students just brought home 79 medals from the SkillsUSA national championships, second in the country,” said North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green. “These young people represent the very best of career and technical education in our state, and they are extraordinary proof that the future workforce of North Carolina is being built right now — in our public schools and our community colleges alike.”
North Carolina High and Middle School National Medalists
Gold medalists
- Promotional Bulletin Board: Brandon Hamblin, Seth Rumbough, Ayven Turner – West Henderson High School
- Promotional Bulletin Board: Madison Franklin, Allie Thompson, Amelia Wanner – Avery Middle School
Silver medalists
- Outstanding Chapter: Tenley Hodges, Noel Miles, Saunders Stephenson – Cranberry Middle School
- Pin Design: Lillian Lagarde - Carrboro High School
- Quiz Bowl: Max Elyashev, Donovan Gill, Matthew Jeon, Keerthibhooshan Veerichetty, Jerry Zhang – Green Hope High School
- Robotics Urban Search & Rescue: Ethan Arellano, Jackson Bollinger – Kannapolis Middle School
Bronze medalists
- Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair: Ethan Kesegich – West Stanly High School
- Collision Repair Technology: Adam Miller – Vernon Malone College & Career Academy
- Commercial sUAS Drone: Nilan Gonzalez, Tristian Moeschet – Douglas Byrd High School
- Cyber Security: Aryan Patil, Arush Wadhawan – Green Hope High School
- Internetworking: Zane Melton – Wilkes Community College (CCP)
- Prepared Speech: Parker Oakley – Cranberry Middle School
- Principles of Engineering-Technology: Jesus Cabrera-Hernandez – Edgecombe Community College (CCP)
- T-Shirt Design: Matilda Gragg – Avery Middle School
- Teamworks: Logan Butts, Bradley Ruse, Anderson Tant, Finn Thompson – Jacksonville High School
- Welding Sculpture: Olivia Rabon – East Davidson High School
The full list of North Carolina medalists across all divisions, including schools and student names, is available at SkillsUSAnc.org.
Read the entire press release here.
Legislative Lookback: Week of June 22, 2026
The following education related bills had action this week:
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HB 171 Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI.
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HB 301 Social Media & AI Safety.
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HB 328 Regulate Hemp-Derived Consumables.
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HB 1126 2026 DST Admin/Technical/Clarifying Changes.-AB
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SB 227 Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
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SB 445 Regulatory Reform Act of 2026.
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SB 1041 Public Workforce Modernization Act.
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A Look Ahead: Week of June 29, 2026
At the time of this publication, no education committees had been scheduled to meet.
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
K-12 Education Bills
- SB 227 Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
Education Bills to Watch
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HB 171 Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI.
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HB 301 Social Media & AI Safety.
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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.
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, 131 bills have become law.
- Of these 131 new laws, NCGA staff have noted 50 laws relate to education in some way.
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