As the General Assembly launches a new study of weighted student funding (WSF), the Public School Forum is preparing to release findings from more than two years of research and comprehensive stakeholder engagement. The report offers several key considerations for policymakers as North Carolina evaluates whether and how to reform its school funding system. What […]
July 24 Policy Updates
As school districts prepare for another school year, a recent survey found that two concerns top the list for superintendents: budget shortfalls and declining enrollment. Both have significant implications for school systems, and while North Carolina’s recently enacted budget addresses some of these challenges, many underlying issues remain unresolved. Budget ShortfallsDistrict leaders report that rising […]
July 10 Policy Updates
After more than a year of delays, North Carolina finally has a comprehensive state budget. The legislation includes meaningful investments in educator compensation and student supports while continuing broader tax and education policies that will shape public schools for years to come. The Public School Forum released a comprehensive analysis of the more than 600-page […]
June 26 Policy Updates
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 […]
June 5 Policy Updates
This week, the General Assembly completed its first successful veto override of the session, opting North Carolina into a federal voucher program. While lawmakers have yet to release details of a long-overdue state budget, committees continue advancing legislation that could shape future budget negotiations. One such proposal, the K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act–an omnibus education […]
May 22 Policy Updates
This week, the General Assembly advanced several major bills related to government structure, school choice, and tax policy, while budget negotiations remain unresolved and public schools continue operating without updated state funding. Shifts in Governance and State Oversight HB 144, a proposed constitutional amendment currently moving through House committees, would change how members of the […]
May 15 Policy Updates
North Carolina General Assembly leaders announced that budget negotiations are finally moving forward, but they have not yet released a finalized budget or detailed funding allocations for public schools. Teacher Pay Agreement Speaker Destin Hall and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger announced a compromise on teacher compensation. The proposed agreement includes: The proposed pay […]
May 8 Policy Updates
As the filing deadline for appropriations bills came to a close at the General Assembly, more than 60 education-related bills have already been filed, offering an early look at competing visions for North Carolina’s public schools. These proposals reflect two realities shaping education policy in the state: growing interest in innovation and transformation, alongside persistent […]
May 1 Policy Updates
This week, a Senate bill aimed at addressing teacher recruitment advanced through the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee, even as North Carolina’s teacher pay ranking continues to decline. Teacher Licensure ModificationsSenate Bill 840, with bipartisan sponsorship, moved through committee with minor amendments. The bill removes several existing licensure barriers, including the Praxis Core requirement for entry […]
April 24 Policy Updates
North Carolina legislators returned to Raleigh this week, and Governor Stein released his latest budget proposal. Typically in the second year of the legislative biennium, a new state budget would already be in place, with the short session focused on technical adjustments. However, without an enacted budget, this year’s short session is expected to take […]
April 17 Policy Updates
This week, the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform concluded its work, advancing two proposals for consideration by the full House. If enacted, these measures could significantly shift the balance between state and local authority and create new pressures for local governments responsible for funding essential public services, including public education. House […]
April 10 Policy Updates
This week, the Public School Forum convened over 400 educators, community members, education leaders, and policymakers at the annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. Leading up to the short session, this event highlighted the state’s progress on the Forum’s 2025-26 Top Education Issues. Overall, North Carolina made very little progress, underscoring the urgency of legislative action […]
April 3 Policy Updates
Yesterday, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued its fifth ruling in the decades-long Leandro lawsuit. Among other considerable impacts, this opinion vacates the 2022 ruling ordering the transfer of $1.75 billion to our public schools. While significant, the Leandro V ruling does not change our constitutional obligation to fully fund our public schools. What’s in […]
March 27 Policy Updates
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger has conceded his primary race, ending his 15-year tenure as caucus leader. Berger’s departure signals a significant moment of transition for the North Carolina General Assembly. Since 2011, legislative priorities under his leadership have helped define the state’s approach to school funding, choice, and educator pay. The […]
March 20 Policy Updates
The longstanding precedent guaranteeing access to public education for all children is facing renewed scrutiny. This week, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing examining the Plyler v. Doe (1982) decision, as several states advance policies aimed at restricting school enrollment for undocumented students. Public Education for All […]
March 13 Policy Updates
This week, Governor Stein released the first of several budget proposals ahead of the General Assembly’s short session. The $1.4 billion “Critical Needs” stopgap plan for FY 2025 includes retroactive educator pay raises. However, with no budget votes taken since October and concerns raised by leadership in both chambers, lawmakers are unlikely to take up […]
March 6 Policy Updates
This week’s primary election largely highlighted just how consequential each vote can be and reflected a public demanding change. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) presented its State of the Teaching Profession and School Administration Report at this week’s State Board of Education meeting, showing relatively steady teacher attrition rates. North Carolina’s Primary Election […]
February 27 Policy Updates
Governor Stein proclaimed February 23-27, 2026, as “Public Schools Week,” coinciding with the Department of Public Instruction’s highlight of school supports–such as counseling, nutrition, transportation, and athletics–as part of the six-week Find Your Fit campaign. As we look ahead to the state’s primary elections, the Forum encourages voters to support candidates who are committed to […]
February 20 Policy Updates
This week, the North Carolina Department of Instruction (DPI) celebrates global learning as part of its Find Your Fit campaign, highlighting the many pathways available within North Carolina’s public schools. Global learning is reflected in DPI’s Key Elements of a Global Classroom, embedded in curriculum resources, and often most visible in magnet schools focused on […]
February 13 Policy Updates
More students than ever are earning industry credentials and connecting to career pathways, contributing to North Carolina’s top workforce development ranking. This progress reflects meaningful achievement while also highlighting the policy work still required to sustain and expand opportunity for all students. CTE Students Earn Record-Breaking Industry Credentials Career and Technical Education (CTE) students earned […]
February 6 Policy Updates
This week, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) presented an annual report showing strong levels of safety in schools, and steady improvements in disciplinary outcomes and graduation rates across the state. DPI’s Annual Report on Discipline, Alternative Learning, and Dropout The State Board of Education reviewed DPI’s annual report at Wednesday’s meeting and […]
January 30 Policy Updates
Congress is again on the brink of a partial government shutdown, driven by disagreements over policy reforms for the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE operations. While education funding is not the source of the conflict, the consequences could still ripple across the U.S. Department of Education at a moment when federal and state voucher policies […]
January 23 Policy Updates
A new bipartisan federal funding proposal signals congressional support for stability in education programs, pushing back on major restructuring at the U.S. Department of Education while prioritizing predictability for schools and states. A Bicameral Bipartisan Minibus Bill This week, the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees jointly released a bipartisan Fiscal Year 2026 spending bill […]
January 16 Policy Updates
Youth depression, anxiety, and suicide have risen steadily over the past decade, yet North Carolina continues to struggle to meet students’ mental health needs amid staffing shortages, funding constraints, and policy uncertainty. With federal mental health funding increasingly volatile and the state still operating without a budget, school districts are doing what they can under […]