RALEIGH (March 26, 2024) – It’s a very good first step in the state’s budget process. Gov. Josh Stein’s recommended budget for 2025-27 makes numerous proposals that are good for public education. How the General Assembly responds will be crucial to what this state wants to be: Does it want to be the education state… READ MORE
Local taxes increasing? Talk to your state legislators
By Public Schools First October 26, 2024 During elections this year, voters in a number of counties will be asked to vote on local tax increases. Some, such as Union County and Orange County residents will vote on school bonds that will raise their property taxes to fund school construction projects. Others, such as Currituck,… READ MORE
A dysfunctional legislature
RALEIGH (June 27, 2024) – “Budget deal eludes GOP,” said a headline this week in the News & Observer.1 So let’s get this straight: Republicans have a supermajority in both houses of the General Assembly – they have enough votes to override the governor’s veto even if he doesn’t like their version of a state… READ MORE
House budget: A gesture to help
RALEIGH (June 20, 2024) – At least the state House is making an effort. At a stalemate in budget negotiations with the state Senate, the 2024-25 budget Republican leaders in the House are moving this week responds to at least some screaming needs: In a state that lost 10,000 K-12 public school teachers last year,… READ MORE
Will legislators listen to Cooper? Good luck.
RALEIGH (May 2, 2024) – In a state where 10,000+ teachers – 11.5% – left its public schools in 2023,1 Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a budget last week to rebuild North Carolina’s teacher pipeline. But will Republican state legislators listen? Good luck with that. Instead, they’re in love with vouchers funded by taxpayers to subsidize… READ MORE
The good and bad of the new state budget
RALEIGH (October 12, 2023) – There are some good things in the state’s new $30 billion budget. And there’s plenty of bad Gov. Roy Cooper had to accept to win Medicaid expansion. “Make no mistake, overall this is a bad budget that seriously shortchanges our schools, prioritizes power grabs, keeps shady backroom deals secret and… READ MORE
7% over two years? Simply not enough.
RALEIGH (September 22, 2023) – It’s simply not enough. At a time when North Carolina children started school with 3,500 teaching positions vacant and with more than 20% of state jobs vacant,1 state legislators approved a budget today – almost three months late – that provides teachers and state employees raises of 4% this year… READ MORE
Budget highlights – and lowlights
RALEIGH (September 22, 2023) – To win Medicaid expansion he has sought since he was elected, Gov. Roy Cooper agreed to make it contingent on passage of the state budget. So Republican legislators packed a whole lot of policy into the 1,400-page 2023-25 budget for Cooper to swallow. Here are some highlights – and lowlights. … READ MORE
Senate budget: Simply not enough
RALEIGH (May 18, 2023) – It’s simply not enough. The budget proposal released this week by the state Senate is simply not enough to improve public education in North Carolina. There’s an undeniable link between education and a skilled workforce. Yet state legislators don’t seem to get that. At a time when average teacher pay… READ MORE
A pay cut
RALEIGH (July 6, 2022) – With the 2022-23 budget they unveiled and adopted last week, state legislators simply aren’t taking care of their people – our people. The state has a $6.5 billion revenue surplus this year. Let that sink in: $6,524,141,444.00.1 Yet this state continues to systematically underfund public education. By one estimate, the… READ MORE