After a year of waiting, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) and Governor Josh Stein have passed a comprehensive state budget, and this compromise comes with a sense of relief for many. Indeed, there are policies and much-needed funding to celebrate within it. However, the final legislation– over 600 pages long– also includes numerous policy […]
September 5 Policy Updates
This week in Washington, D.C., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies released its Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bill, which, if passed, would have significant consequences for North Carolina. More Federal Cuts Proposed This week, a House subcommittee endorsed many –though not all– of President Trump’s proposed Department […]
August 29 Policy Updates
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 […]
Public Dollars, Private Schools: Evaluating Access, Affordability, and Accountability in North Carolina’s Universal Voucher Program
As the education privatization movement has spread across the country, school voucher programs have become more common and more expansive in many states. These programs use taxpayer dollars to provide scholarships to families to send their children to nonpublic schools. Like many voucher programs, North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, which was created by the General […]
August 15 Policy Updates
Last week, the State Board of Education approved the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) five-year strategic plan, titled “Achieving Educational Excellence.” Meanwhile, Governor Stein signed the state’s mini-budget into law, funding core government operations and essential services. He also vetoed the Educational Choice for Children Act, though he committed to opting North Carolina into the […]
August 1 Policy Updates
The NCGA was back in session this week and followed an unusually busy agenda–from overriding eight vetoes to opting North Carolina into a vague and still-unfolding federal education voucher program. Meanwhile, educators across the state are breathing a sigh of relief as the U.S. Department of Education releases withheld federal funds. North Carolina General Assembly […]
July 18 Policy Updates
The NCGA is still on vacation, and we await further action on the budget when they return. It’s been another active week on the federal level, however, with big updates from the Supreme Court and states filing suit against the withholding of federal funds. Supreme Court Decision and the US Department of Education On Monday, […]
July 4 Policy Updates
The NCGA is on vacation, and state budget talks are still stalled. This week has been busy at the federal level, however, with an updated reconciliation bill passing Congress, and unprecedented withholding of education funds by President Trump. Federal Reconciliation Process Much is at stake for North Carolina students and schools as the federal reconciliation […]
June 20 Policy Updates
Budget talks between North Carolina House and Senate GOP leaders have stalled, but other legislation concerning students in our schools has moved forward. This week, we take a look at two bills that could threaten the sense of safety that all children deserve in their learning environments and communities. What is Being Proposed? This week, […]
June 6 Policy Updates
As we await further news on the North Carolina budget, this week we turn our attention to the details of President Trump’s FY2026 budget request. This proposal would dramatically reduce funding to public schools and force states to make difficult decisions to cut programs our students depend on. On May 30, President Trump released his […]
May 23 Policy Updates
This week, all eyes are on the House as North Carolina representatives present and debate their budget proposal for the 2025-27 biennium. Our analysis takes a deeper dive into all educator pay proposals so far– from Governor Josh Stein, the NC House, and the NC Senate. Since the beginning of the 2025 long session at […]
May 16 Policy Updates
The NC legislative session is really heating up this week, and we now have more clarity on which of the over 130 K12 education bills filed this session have retained momentum. The House also released part of its education budget proposal. This week, we take a closer look at how this budget stacks up with […]
May 9 Policy Updates
It’s crossover week at the General Assembly, so it’s been busy in Raleigh. We continue to sort through details of which bills have moved prior to the May 8 deadline, and will be back next week with further analysis on the over 130 K12 education bills filed this session. This week, we turn our attention […]
May 2 Policy Updates
As we move toward the May 8 crossover deadline, the deadline for bills to pass a full vote from one chamber and move to the other, over 130 K12 education bills have been filed this session in the NC General Assembly. As the legislative session continues, we will track bills that align with our Top […]
April 25 Policy Updates
As we move toward the May 8 crossover deadline, the deadline for bills to pass a full vote from one chamber and move to the other, over 130 K12 education bills have been filed this session in the NC General Assembly. As the legislative session continues, we will track bills that align with our Top […]
April 18 Policy Updates
As we move toward the May 8 crossover deadline, the deadline for bills to pass a full vote from one chamber and move to the other, over 130 K12 education bills have been filed this session in the NC General Assembly. As the legislative session continues, we will track bills that align with our Top […]
April 11 Policy Updates
Now that we have passed the bill filing deadlines for both the House and Senate, over 130 K12 education bills have been filed this session in the NC General Assembly. As the legislative session continues, we will track bills that align with our Top Education Issues and highlight several policy areas each week. School Performance […]
April 4 Policy Updates
Now that we have passed the Senate bill filing deadline and are quickly approaching the House deadline, over 100 K12 education bills have been filed this session in the NC General Assembly. As the legislative session continues, we will track bills that align with our Top Education Issues and highlight several policy areas each week. […]
March 28 Policy Updates
Two policy areas we’re watching closely at the legislature: This week over 70 K12 education bills were filed in the NC General Assembly! This is not unusual since the Senate bill filing deadline was March 25th and the House bill filing deadline is quickly approaching on April 3rd. As the legislative session continues, we will […]
2025-27 Governor’s Budget Proposal Analysis
The North Carolina budgeting process for the 2025-27 biennium officially kicked off this week with the release of Governor Josh Stein’s proposed budget, which outlines his priorities for education policy and funding. The Governor’s budget addresses many of the evidence-based action items called for in the Public School Forum’s 2025-27 Top Education Issues. Under this […]
SB 227 Eliminating “DEI” in Public Education
It’s been a busy week at the NC General Assembly, with lots of legislation introduced that could have significant impacts on our students, schools, and educators. One bill that’s getting a lot of attention is SB 227: Eliminating “DEI” in Public Education. The bill is co-sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R, Rockingham, […]
Exploring Weighted Student Funding in North Carolina
In 2023, Senators Lee, Galey, and Barnes sponsored a bill that would convert North Carolina’s funding formula to a weighted student funding (WSF) model. Nationally, 41 states use student-based funding in their formula. Weighted, student-based funding formulas include a base funding amount plus funding for students with additional needs, including economically disadvantaged students, English language […]
Opportunity Scholarships and the Schools that Receive Them
The NC Senate recently voted to give a total of $632 million for taxpayer-funded private school vouchers to families of all income levels in 2024-25. HB823/SB406 appropriates an additional $248 million for the coming school year to the Opportunity Scholarship Fund, on top of the $384.5 million that was already appropriated for the 2024-25 school […]
Rebuilding the Educator Pipeline — Policies and Practices to Make it Happen in NC
Teachers are the most important school-related factor that Impacting students’ academic outcomes. To meet the needs and potential of all students, North Carolina (NC) must be able to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. North Carolina continues to experience challenges with vacancies and positions filled with teachers who are not fully certified in nearly all grade […]