Highlights
News & Observer Under the Dome - Kyle Ingram and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan | April 9, 2025
- The Senate is on track to release its budget bill Monday afternoon, Republican Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters after the Senate session on Tuesday evening.
- The budget, which will likely spend more than $30 billion in taxpayer money and fund raises for state employees and teachers, is a two-year spending plan. The budget process starts with the upcoming Senate version, which will go through committee on Tuesday, with floor votes Wednesday and Thursday, Berger said.
- Then the House will likely pass its own version in May, and a final budget will be negotiated among Republican leaders.
Office of Governor Stein - Press Release | April 7, 2025: Governor Stein Announces Council on Student Safety & Well-Being - Council to Focus on School Safety, Cell Phones in Classrooms
K-12 Dive - Naaz Modan | April 9, 2025: Education Department’s DEI order postponed as case pends
FOX8 - Hojung Ryu | April 7, 2025: North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission sees record numbers
Raleigh News & Observer - T. Keung Hui | April 10, 2025: TMSA gets $8.3 million US grant to expand NC charter schools
State Board of Education Planning and Work Session
- Tuesday, April 29 – Thursday, May 1
Haywood County Schools
ITC Conference Room
161 Bryson Street
Waynesville, NC 28786
About the State Board of Education
YouTube recordings of SBE meetings HERE.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
Association of K-12 Education Technology Leaders Honor Nathan Miller and Vanessa Wrenn (NCDPI) With Excellence in Public Service Award
CoSN, a premier association of K-12 education technology leaders, honored Nathan Miller of the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Dr. Vanessa Wrenn of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) with its 2025 Excellence in Public Service Award.
Read the full press release here. Congratulations, Dr. Wrenn!
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DPI Press Release | April 11, 2025
Rachel Candaso, a Pitt County Schools middle school teacher and AVID coordinator, is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made today at an awards luncheon honoring Candaso and eight other regional finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Cary.
Throughout the 2025-26 school year, Candaso will work alongside the eight additional regional Teacher of the Year finalists. These teachers were also recognized today:
Southeast: Hannah Moon, Emsley A. Laney High School (New Hanover County Schools)
North Central: Tamika J. Farmer, G. W. Carver Elementary School (Edgecombe County Schools)
Sandhills: Dr. Anthony Martin, East Columbus Junior/Senior High School (Columbus County Schools)
Piedmont-Triad: Chanel Jones, Broadview Middle School (Alamance-Burlington School System)
Southwest: Yaronda Kilgo, Wingate Elementary School (Union County Public Schools)
Northwest: Tayler Bomar, Greenlee Primary School (Mitchell County Schools)
Western: Lydia Sale, West Elementary School (Swain County Schools)
Charter School: Lindsay Phillips, Mountain Island Charter School
North Carolina has recognized outstanding teachers through its Teacher of the Year program since 1970. For more information on North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year recognition program, visit the program’s website.
You also can follow the North Carolina Teacher of the Year finalists on social media at #NCTOYPOY. With support from Equitable Advisors and PBS North Carolina, a recording of this year’s livestream of the Teacher of the Year event is available on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's YouTube channel
Read the entire Press Release here.
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Two North Carolina Students Honored as 2025 Military Child of the Year® Award Recipients
Now in its 17th year, the Military Child of the Year® Award reflects the positive impact that these impressive young people have made on their military families, their schools and their communities. The North Carolina students receiving this honor are:
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Isabella Smith, 2025 Military Child of the Year® for the Marines, Swansboro High School (Onslow County Schools) | Read more about Isabella Smith here.
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Emily Baldeosingh, 2025 Military Child of the Year® for the National Guard, Havelock High School (Craven County Schools) | Read more about Emily Baldeosingh here.
Congratulations, Isabella and Emily, on this achievement!
Read more about the students being honored as 2025 Military Children of the Year.
K-12 Education Bills
Bills in the News:
The Pulse - Rob Schofield | April 9, 2025: NC Senate committee okays bill to alter K-12 school calendar - Senate Bill 754, “School Calendar Flexibility: A New Alternative” would offer school districts two options for commencing the new school year. One follows the current law, which requires a start date no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and an end date no later than the Friday closest to June. The second and new option would allow schools to start on the Monday closest to Aug. 19, with the school year ending no later than the Friday before Memorial Day.
Carolina Journal - Brianna Kraemer | April 10, 2025: GOP-backed bills would give state auditor new powers over government spending - The DAVE Act requires each state agency to report to the division on how it spends taxpayer funds and detail all positions that have been vacant for at least six months. The state auditor will then report back to the General Assembly about whether any state agencies or offices should be dissolved and whether any positions should be eliminated.
WRAL NEWS - Will Doran | April 10, 2025: Booze, schools, highway rules: Proposals for new state laws pour into NC legislature on deadline day
K-12 Education Bills to Watch
In addition to the bills scheduled to be heard in education committees next week, here are ten education bills to watch. For a complete list of education bills to watch, see the tracking link above.
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Bill
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Short Title
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Action Description
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1.
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HB 2
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Entry Fees for Interscholastic Sports Events.
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Ref to Senate Rules (Made Crossover)
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2.
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HB 21
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Drivers License Designation/Autism.
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Ref to Senate Rules (Made Crossover)
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3.
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HB 40
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GSC Technical Corrections 2025 Part 1.
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Ref to Senate Rules (Made Crossover)
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4.
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HB 87
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Cell Phone-Free Education.
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Ref to Senate Rules (Made Crossover)
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5.
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HB 149 (=S112)
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School Financial Flexibility Pilot Program.
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Ref to Senate Rules (Made Crossover)
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6.
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SB 55
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Student Use of Wireless Communication Devices.
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Ref to House Rules (Made Crossover)
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7.
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SB 77
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School Contracted Health Services.
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Ref to House Rules (Made Crossover)
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8.
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SB 223
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Expand Academic Trans. Pathways/Sophomore HS.
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Ref to House Rules (Made Crossover)
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9.
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SB 227
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Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
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Ref to House Rules (Made Crossover)
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10.
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SB 507
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Auto Enrollment in Advanced ELA Courses.
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Passed the Senate - Sent to the House (Made Crossover)
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