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Friday, September 11, 2026
Fox 8 News - Melissa Painter | September 10, 2026: On Sept. 11, 2001, Jillian Mors was in the 10th grade. Her teachers at Forbush High School in Yadkin County comforted her and her classmates as they all watched the attacks on our country that day.
Now Mors is a teacher herself at Hanes Magnet School in Winston-Salem with 8th grade social studies students. This is a generation far removed from the events of 9/11, but as an educator, Mors knows how important it is for these students to understand this part of our country’s history.
Mors teaches the stories of people being inspired to reach out and help each other.
WUNC News | September 8, 2026: WUNC News will air two special programs to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
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NPR's "25 years after 9/11, what have we learned?" will air Friday 9/11 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 9/13 at 6:00 p.m..
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BBC's "The Reunion - The 9/11 Attacks" is scheduled to air at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday 9/13.
The U.S. Capitol Historical Society Newsletter - Chuck Hagel | September 10, 2026: Chuck Hagel was serving in the U.S. Senate on September 11, 2001, as the attacks unfolded and the Capitol complex was evacuated. Today, he reflects on that day and asks: “What has changed, and what have we learned?”
Highlights
NC Newsline - Clayton | September 8, 2026
North Carolina’s lottery is selling more tickets than ever – but it’s putting less of the money it makes into schools, says Auditor Dave Boliek.
A new audit found that gross ticket sales for the state’s Education Lottery rose from $4.3 billion in FY 2023 to $6.6 billion in FY 2025. But the percentage of that money that went to public education fell each year from 23% in 2023, 20% in 2024, and just 16% in 2025.
But the issue for Boliek is not whether people are buying more tickets or playing more often. It’s whether the lottery is meeting its statutory obligation to provide school funding – and he says it’s not.
The agency is recommending that lottery officials work with the General Assembly to clarify whether the lottery’s objective should be maximizing dollars transferred to education, maintaining a minimum transfer percentage, or balancing both objectives within a clearer policy framework.
In response, the lottery’s chief executive officer said the General Assembly should take another look at the statutory target, which is now over 20 years old.
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 Celebrate Arts in Education Week with Marching Band Performances at NCDPI
Join NCDPI in celebrating Arts in Education Week with two marching band performances on the Halifax Mall lawn. Both performances will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will also be streamed on the NC Public Schools YouTube channel.
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Tuesday, Sept. 15: Grimsley Senior High School (Guilford County Schools) - The 2025-26 High School OT Marching Band of the Year, Grimsley’s band program emphasizes musical excellence, community and discipline.
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Thursday, Sept. 17: Scotland High School (Scotland County Schools) - With roots dating to the 1950s, the Scotland Band proudly celebrates its Scottish heritage and has performed at prominent parades and competitions across the country.
Planning & Work Session on Sept. 29 - Oct. 1
- Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM
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Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM
- Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM
From the Boardroom: Activities of the NC State Board of Education September Meeting
The State Board of Education is the only board created by the North Carolina Constitution. Its purpose is to administer and supervise our state's public education system. This newsletter highlights the Board’s activities on behalf of our 1.5 million students and more than 100,000 educators. You may view all State Board member and advisor information online.
NC State Board of Education in the News:
EdNC - Molly Steur | September 4, 2026
The State Board of Education convened for its monthly meeting last week, where the Board heard a presentation on 2025-26 school accountability data, which showed, among other things, that the statewide graduation rate increased a full percentage point to 88.8% — the highest graduation rate in North Carolina history.
“This graduation rate moves North Carolina’s public schools closer to reaching a ‘Best in Nation Measure’ as identified in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) strategic plan, Achieving Educational Excellence,” a DPI press release says.
The Board also discussed chronic absenteeism, technology policies and grants, updates on matters related to special education, a financial update from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and more.
The Carolina Journal - David N. Bass | September 10, 2026
North Carolina’s math standards are due for a major rewrite when the State Board of Education takes up the issue next month.
Right now, students must earn credit in NC Math 1, 2, and 3, then pick a fourth math course on their own. The new standards being drafted by the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) would still require four math credits, but only Math 1 and Math 2 would be mandatory, as Carolina Journal reported in February. For the other two credits, students could take any course above Math 2. Three new classes, in statistics, data analysis, and logic, would be among the options.
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
NCDPI Celebrate the Good Blog | September 9, 2026
Image: Hertford Grammar School – Perquimans County Schools
The following nine schools from across the state were recently acknowledged at the North Carolina State Board of Education’s September meeting for their exemplary leadership and instruction in STEM education:
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Hertford Grammar School – Perquimans County Schools
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Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy – Davidson County Schools
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G.R. Edwards Elementary – Nash County Schools
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Red Oak Elementary – Nash County Schools
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Rock Ridge Elementary – Wilson County Schools
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Greene County Middle School – Greene County Schools
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Oakhurst STEAM Academy – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
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Northwest Elementary – Pitt County Schools
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Rea Farms STEAM Academy – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Other notable celebrations included: National World Language Award, English Language Development Recognition Award and Hometown Hero. The Winston-Salem and Forsyth County communities were also recognized for their perseverance, effort and sacrifice toward addressing recent budget challenges.
Full photo gallery from the North Carolina State Board of Education September Meeting is available here.
General Assembly may reconvene on Monday, September 28
Pursuant to SJR 1091, the House and Senate may reconvene on the following dates:
- September 28-30
- October 26-28
- November 16-19
- November 30-December 18
Items eligible for consideration include: veto override votes, appointment and confirmation matters, election law issues, litigation-related actions, impeachment proceedings, constitutional amendments, simple resolutions, conference reports, and resolutions to further adjourn the legislative session.
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
K-12 Education Bills
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 832 Education Omnibus.
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SB 69 Various Local Provisions V.
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SB 177 Continuing Budget Adjustments.
Reminder: Bills ≠ Laws
Only a few dozen bills typically make it “across the finish line” and become law each legislative session.
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Other Legislative Resources
2026 NCGA Candidate Information
State Budget Information & Resources
2026 State Budget Information
2025 Enacted "Mini Budgets"
Other State Budget Resources
K-12 Education Legislation Resources
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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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In Other News
EdNC - Analisa Sorrells Archer | September 7, 2026
When North Carolina’s public schools opened again in August, so too did cafeteria lines across the state, where millions of breakfasts and lunches are served to students each school year. Research shows that school meals offer many benefits, including alleviating food insecurity, supporting good nutrition, and increasing student achievement.
New investments in school meals, included in the state budget in July, are putting more dollars behind local agricultural products for elementary schools, bonuses for school nutrition employees, and more.
The state budget also:
- Invests $5 million in state matching funds for SUN Bucks, which will subsequently unlock $60 million in federal funding to provide summer food assistance to eligible children while school is out. Through the program, eligible children receive $120 during the summer break to pay for nutritious food.
- Codifies and provides greater flexibility for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Meal Incentive Program, originally introduced in the 2023 budget. The program is administered by the state Department of Public Instruction and works to expand the number of schools participating in CEP, which allows low-income schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students.
- Prohibits schools from offering alternative school meals based on students’ pay status — including whether or not they have school meal debt, or qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Serving alternative meals, or items other than what is offered on the daily menu, contributes to lunch shaming, stigmatizing students who have school meal debt. While some school districts have already ended the practice of serving alternative meals, this new policy ensures all districts in the state provide students with the same meal.
DisabilityScoop - Michelle Diament | September 10, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education’s top special education official unexpectedly resigned just as the agency is putting plans in motion to outsource many responsibilities related to supporting students with disabilities.
Kelly Rogers, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, or OSERS, told staffers Wednesday that she will be leaving the department Friday.
The announcement comes the same week that the Education Department is moving over 100 OSERS staffers to the Department of Health and Human Services. At the same time, 57 employees in the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights are slated to relocate to the Department of Justice next week, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, a union that represents Education Department workers.
The Carolina Journal - David N. Bass | September 10, 2026
North Carolina’s charter school association has brought in a consulting firm to write quality standards for the state’s virtual charter academies, schools the state charter office said last month none of its staff has experience evaluating.
The North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools is working with Safal Partners, a Texas public-sector consulting firm, on the project through a federal Charter Schools Program grant. The firm outlined the project to the Charter Schools Review Board on Sept. 8 and proposed testing the standards with a few academies over the next year before they are used more widely. The board did not vote on the proposal.
The firm is writing three documents. One explains the state law in plain terms for school operators. One is a checklist schools and reviewers can use to judge quality. The third is a plan for monitoring the academies over about two years, built on the review process the board already uses for charter schools. Presenters said the goal is to identify struggling students during the school year rather than after grades are released.
Nineteen remote charter academies are open this fall, up from seven in 2024. Nine opened this year.
Educational Programs and Opportunities
Partner with the Governor's Council on Workforce & Apprenticeships
Businesses across North Carolina are coming together to strengthen the state’s talent pipeline—and Your Company is invited to join in! By partnering with the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships (and through it, the NCWorks system), employers gain access to talent connections, workforce training resources, and support designed to help companies recruit, train, and retain the skilled employees they need to grow.
The Council’s Goal: Engage 50,000 employers across the state.
Visit commerce.nc.gov/employers to learn more and complete the interest form.
Add your voice. Share your workforce needs. Help shape the future of North Carolina’s workforce...and ensure your business stays competitive.
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is now accepting applications from North Carolina students for its statewide selection process through October 4.
The USSYP gives high school juniors and seniors interested in studying history or political science an opportunity to spend a week in Washington, D.C. meeting legislators, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and officials from federal agencies and the White House.
The program will select two North Carolina students as delegates. Each delegate will receive a $12,500 scholarship and attend a week-long educational program in Washington, D.C. from March 6-13.
Use the links below to access information and application materials for North Carolina's USSYP Selection Process.
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NC Eligibility (*Important: DO NOT apply until you have thoroughly read the "Eligibility" information.)
**A student who is a senior in the 5th year (year 13) of a five-year program at an early college is NOT eligible to apply.
Your Direct Admission Opportunity is Here!
In Fall 2026, every public high school senior on track to graduate with a diploma will be directly admitted to college in North Carolina!
NC College Connect is North Carolina’s direct admission program. This year, all North Carolina public high school seniors in membership and on track to graduate with a diploma are eligible for direct admission at participating colleges and universities through NC College Connect. Public high school students, including charter school students, with a weighted GPA of 2.8 and above who meet NC College Connect requirements are offered direct admission based on their academic profile to select colleges and universities.
And it doesn’t end there-- through NC College Connect, all students will also be offered direct admission to their local community college. In September, current seniors who are on track to graduate will receive an official letter to participate in the program and will be able to see their respective list in their CFNC portal on September 15. The higher a students' GPA, the more colleges to which they'll be admitted!
There are several upcoming events for students and staff. NCDPI and SEAA are hosting separate events for YOU! Feel free to join us to get your questions answered in real-time – please join us at the links below.
For students:
For education professionals:
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The Department of Education administers grant funding programs to fulfill the Department's mission to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness, to foster educational excellence, and to ensure equal access. Search for open and upcoming grant opportunities available from ED in the list at this link. The definitive list of U.S. federal government grants is located at Grants.gov.
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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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