North Carolina lawmakers this week approved a mini-budget bill with much-needed funds for growing public schools, including charters. The measure, House Bill 10, includes $95 million in recurring funding for K-12 enrollment growth, among other things. The Senate passed the bill on Monday, and the House approved it yesterday.
Why is this funding necessary? This year, the state moved to a new funding model (“funding in arrears”) which pays schools based on last year’s enrollment. Enrollment growth is to be covered by a contingency reserve.
EdNC explains:
In 2023, lawmakers also enacted a new funding in arrears model for K-12 public schools. This means funding is now based on the previous year’s enrollment, rather than projections. Lawmakers and officials from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) have said this model gives more budget certainty to schools.
However, the new enrollment growth account balance only has $2.5 million it it, [House Speaker Tim] Moore said in a press release this week, “less than 5% of expected funding necessary to meet the needs of K-12 enrollment growth for this year.”
“Therefore, the mini budget allocates $95 million to meet this critical need for our growing public schools,” Moore said.
Like most bills, House Bill 10 includes a variety of provisions. In addition to funding public K-12 enrollment growth, the bill also provides additional funds for community colleges and the Opportunity Scholarship Program, and includes other components.
Now, the governor can sign or veto it–or allow the bill to become law in 10 days by not taking any action. The Coalition has urged the governor to allow the bill to become law.
In a press release distributed Tuesday before the House vote, Lindalyn Kakadelis, the Coalition’s executive director, said:
Thank you to state lawmakers for coming together to propose enrollment growth funding at traditional and charter schools. Our member schools have reached out to us with great anxiety in recent weeks, because without this funding they may soon face a liquidity crisis. We respectfully urge lawmakers and the governor to ensure this funding is enacted into law.
Read more about the measure in the Charlotte Observer and EdNC.
Above: Shutterstock photo.
