The General Assembly has yet to pass a state budget, leaving school districts to navigate funding gaps and uncertainty as the new year begins. Families feel these pressures directly, even as school choice advocates promote private options.
Efforts to Override Governor Stein’s Vetoes, and No Budget Vote on the Agenda
The General Assembly briefly returned to session this week but did not take up the state budget. Planned votes to override three vetoed anti-DEI bills and the Educational Choice for Children Act (HB 87) were also delayed due to the absence of several House Republicans. These override votes are now scheduled for the next work session in September.
Representative Shelly Willingham, a Democrat representing Edgecombe, Martin, and Bertie counties, has said he will support overriding the governor’s veto of House Bill 87, which would opt North Carolina into a federal tax-credit voucher program. His support gives House Republicans the majority needed to pass the measure.
By opting into the federal voucher program, families may be further incentivized to leave public schools, reducing the funds available to serve remaining students. Public schools are already working under funding pressures and accountability expectations, which may deepen if enrollment continues to decline. Over time, these shifts risk widening disparities between communities, with wealthier districts and families better positioned to adapt. They also raise broader questions about the long-term stability of North Carolina’s public education system and its ability to prepare a strong future workforce.
However, Willingham and his colleagues in the NC Legislative Black Caucus have taken a different stance on the bills aimed at eliminating DEI programs. They have made clear they will oppose those veto overrides, stressing that DEI programs are essential for helping students, workers, and underrepresented communities across both rural and urban areas of the state.
Back to School
Teachers are returning to a school year without a raise and with increased healthcare premiums, which many view as a pay cut. The recently passed mini-budget (S.L. 2025-89) authorizes teachers to receive step increases per their years of experience, but many districts face a tough outlook with locally funded positions.
Meanwhile, public school districts across the state are grappling with incomplete budgets due to the lack of a state budget as well as the possibility of additional federal education cuts. The federal administration has proposed cutting $12 billion in public education for the upcoming year, which would translate into a loss of more than $200 million in federal funding for North Carolina.
While wealthier school districts may have the funds to cushion these losses, many other school districts, especially rural districts, will struggle to replace the funding through local revenue. As a result, school districts are forced to trim their budgets and delay future plans. The budget delay highlights how education policy decisions–on both funding and programs–remain in limbo, leaving schools and families uncertain about what resources and supports will ultimately be available.
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