Earlier this month, lawmakers passed, and Governor Stein signed, a $34.4 billion state budget (“2026 Appropriations Act”). Roughly $19 billion in the budget will go to education, according to WBTV. Of those educational dollars, $12.5 billion funds K-12 education.
Public school teachers will receive an average 8% pay raise, while principals and other school employees will get a 3% raise.
In a statement, Governor Stein said the budget “delivers the largest starting teacher pay raise in nearly 50 years and overall teacher pay raise in fifteen years.”
Charter impacts
The new budget reflects a number of Coalition priorities that will benefit charter schools specifically. For instance, the budget rectifies funding gaps for charter schools around students with disabilities. This year, some charter schools did not receive an additional “pro rata allocation” for their students with disabilities, and the new budget allocates $4.1 million for that purpose. Additional budget language should prevent this funding issue from recurring.
The budget also broadens charter school eligibility for various grant programs; pegs remote charter academy funding to the statewide average per pupil allocation (for academies operating statewide); and extends the deadline for charter school audit submissions.
Read more budget coverage
- EdNC: Gov. Stein signs budget into law, discusses investment in education
- EdNC: General Assembly passes budget with 8% average teacher raises, plus funds for literacy, math, and research
- Carolina Journal: Education bills that stalled in committee reappear in new budget
- WRAL: Stein signs $34B NC budget, ushering in tax cuts and raises for state employees after GOP agreement
- CBS 17: North Carolina budget impact on schools
Above: Shutterstock photo.
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