This week, the General Assembly continued to delay the release of a comprehensive state budget while advancing several high-profile policy priorities, including election law changes and veto overrides. At the federal level, the Trump administration announced additional steps toward dismantling the U.S. Department of Education by transferring oversight of civil rights and special education to other federal agencies.
Budget Delays Persist as Lawmakers Advance Other Policy Priorities
The budget, which was expected to be released by now and is more than 1,000 days overdue, has a new target release date of July 13. As a result, some educators–particularly those in year-round schools–begin another school year without salary increases. Continued delays have also fueled questions about whether lawmakers will ultimately pass a comprehensive budget this session or rely on a series of smaller appropriations measures.
Lawmakers instead concentrated their efforts this week on sweeping election law reform–changes that would make voting more difficult for North Carolinians–as well as overriding several of Governor Stein’s vetoed bills that make schools less safe for students.
SB 153, “The North Carolina Board Protection Act,” requires public servants, state agencies, and college campuses to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), restricts public benefits to ensure they are not used by undocumented individuals, and prohibits sanctuary policies in public entities, including UNC-System Schools. By increasing immigration enforcement and cooperation with federal authorities, the new law risks undermining trust between schools and immigrant families, which can negatively affect student attendance, well-being, and academic success.
Two additional vetoed bills overridden, SB 227 and SB 558, establish statewide restrictions on DEI programs, personnel, training, and instructional content within North Carolina public education institutions. Supporters of the DEI restrictions argue the legislation promotes viewpoint neutrality and limits the use of public resources for identity-based programming. These restrictions, however, may reduce schools’ ability to foster inclusive environments and support students from diverse backgrounds. Research shows that teacher diversity and culturally responsive teaching practices are associated with stronger academic outcomes, higher levels of student engagement, and greater sense of belonging.
Schools Face Continued Uncertainty from Federal Policy Shifts
Last year, delayed federal funds created significant uncertainty for state and local education leaders as schools scrambled to operate without these promised funds. While the U.S. Department of Education has assured state and district leaders that this year’s funds will flow in time, the administration’s track record creates a lack of confidence as schools prepare for the upcoming school year.
Adding to the uncertainty, just last week the agency announced two additional interagency agreements that would transfer some of the last of the department’s major duties–shifting the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of Civil Rights to the U.S. Department of Justice.
This move aligns with the Trump Administration’s stated goal of dismantling the department. Since President Trump took office, stakeholders have reported delays in responses from the department regarding complaints and compliance issues.
The Bottom Line
As we draw closer to the end of yet another fiscal year without a budget, North Carolinians find themselves in a familiar state of uncertainty and frustration. Families are left without support from the leaders they elected, educators are facing yet another school year without adequate compensation or support from their legislators, and it is our students who will ultimately suffer the consequences of misguided policy decisions and declining resources. At a time when North Carolina ranks among the seven worst states in the nation for economic segregation in public schools, policymakers should be focused on expanding opportunity and addressing persistent inequities–not advancing divisive culture-war legislation while fundamental investments in students, educators, and public schools remain unresolved. We urge our policymakers to take swift action and refocus on the issues that matter most.
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