Strong Public Schools for a Strong NC.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 807

Short Title: Strong Public Schools for a Strong NC. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives von Haefen, Baker, Prather, and F. Jackson (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 8, 2025
*H807-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIAT E FUNDS TO RAISE SAL ARIES FOR TEACHERS, TO 2
PROVIDE FUNDS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, TO PROVIDE BREAKFAST 3
AND LUNCH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT NO COST T O STUDENTS THROUGH A N 4
ALLOCATION BASED ON SCHOOL FOOD AUTHORIT Y EVALUATIONS, TO 5
PROVIDE FOR A ONE -TO-ONE DEVICE REFRESH FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND 6
TO REVISE THE OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
9
PART I. RAISE TEACHER SALARIES 10
SECTION 1.(a) The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 11
2025-2026 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. 12
The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience. 13
2025-2026 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule 14
Years of Experience "A" Teachers 15
0 $4,450 16
1 $4,530 17
2 $4,610 18
3 $4,690 19
4 $4,770 20
5 $4,850 21
6 $4,930 22
7 $5,010 23
8 $5,090 24
9 $5,170 25
10 $5,250 26
11 $5,330 27
12 $5,410 28
13 $5,490 29
14 $5,570 30
15-24 $5,588 31
25+ $5,795 32
SECTION 1.(b) Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. – 33
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 807-First Edition
(1) Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary 1
supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on 2
the "A" salary schedule. 3
(2) Licensed teachers who are classified as "M" teachers shall receive a salary 4
supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the 5
"A" salary schedule. 6
(3) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 7
six-year degree level sha ll receive a salary supplement of one hundred 8
twenty-six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 9
to them as "M" teachers. 10
(4) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 11
doctoral degree level shall recei ve a salary supplement of two hundred 12
fifty-three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 13
to them as "M" teachers. 14
(5) Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten 15
percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule. 16
(6) School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level 17
or higher shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred dollars ($100.00) 18
per month. 19
SECTION 1.(c) For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are 20
licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists 21
who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply: 22
(1) The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the 23
"A" salary schedule. 24
(2) These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month: 25
a. Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement 26
provided pursuant to sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision. 27
b. Five hundred dollars ($500.00). 28
(3) These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those 29
of teachers for academic preparation at the six -year degree level or the 30
doctoral degree level. 31
(4) The twenty -sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one -half 32
percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on 33
the twenty-fifth step of the salary schedule. 34
SECTION 1.(d) Beginning with the 2014 -2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providin g 35
annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those 36
longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule. 37
SECTION 1.(e) A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for 38
the 2025-2026 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following: 39
(1) The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year. 40
(2) For teachers who were eligible for longevity for the 2013 -2014 school year, 41
the sum of the following: 42
a. The salary the teacher received in the 2013-2014 school year pursuant 43
to Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013-360. 44
b. The longevity that the teacher would have received under the longevity 45
system in effect for the 2013 -2014 school year provided in Section 46
35.11 of S.L. 2013-360 based on the teacher's current years of service. 47
c. The annual bonus provided in Section 9.1(e) of S.L. 2014-100. 48
(3) For teachers who were not eligible for longevity for the 2013 -2014 school 49
year, the sum o f the salary and annual bonus the teacher received in the 50
2014-2015 school year pursuant to Section 9.1 of S.L. 2014-100. 51
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House Bill 807-First Edition Page 3
SECTION 1.(f) As used in this section, the term "teacher" shall also include 1
instructional support personnel. 2
SECTION 1.(g) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 3
Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of four hundred six million three hundred 4
thousand dollars ($406,300,000) in recurring funds to implement the teacher raises provided in 5
this section. 6
7
PART II. FUNDS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES 8
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-111.05 reads as rewritten: 9
"§ 115C-111.05. Funding for children with disabilities. 10
To the extent funds are made available for this purpose, the State Board shall allocate funds 11
for children with disabilities to each local school administrative unit on a per child basis. Each 12
local school administrative unit shall receive funds for the le sser of (i) all children who are 13
identified as children with disabilities or (ii) thirteen percent (13%) of its allocated average daily 14
membership in the local school administrative unit for the current school year.year on the basis 15
of the reported cost of the services provided." 16
SECTION 2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 17
Public Instruction the sum of eighty -nine million four hundred thousand dollars ($89,400,000) 18
in recurring funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year and one hundred nine million two hundred 19
thousand dollars ($109,200,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to 20
implement the plan for weighted funding for children with disabilities on the basis of the reported 21
cost of services provided developed by the Department of Public Instruction pursuant to Section 22
7.7 of S.L. 2023-134. The Department shall begin distributing funds for children with disabilities 23
based on this model beginning with the 2025 -2026 school year. The nonrecurring funds 24
appropriated to the Department by this section shall not revert but shall remain available until the 25
end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year. 26
27
PART III. PROVIDE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT NO COST 28
TO STUDENTS THROUGH AN ALLOCATION BASED ON SCHOOL FOOD 29
AUTHORITY EVALUATIONS 30
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 115C-263 reads as rewritten: 31
"§ 115C-263. School nutrition services. 32
(a) As a part of the function of the public school system, local boards of education public 33
school units shall have a school food authority to provide to the extent practicable school nutrition 34
services in the schools under their jurisdiction. The school food authority shall offer students two 35
meals per day, breakfast and lunch, at no cost to the student. All school nutrition services made 36
available under this authority shall be provided in accordance with federal guidelines established 37
by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. 38
(b) The To the extent that funds are made available for the purpose, the State Board of 39
Education shall allocate funds to school food authorities at public school units for the purpose of 40
providing healthy nutrition services at no cost to students . In issuing the allocation, the Board 41
shall do the following: 42
(1) Determine the amount to allocate to each school food authority based on an 43
evaluation of the authority's nutrition services. The Board shall develop the 44
method and criteria for the evaluation, which, at a minimum, shall account for 45
the following: 46
a. The size of the school s served by the school food authority as 47
determined by Average Daily Membership. 48
b. The number of students that are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch 49
and the estimated receipts from the National School Lunch Program. 50
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c. The funds actually expended in the prior year, which may be waived 1
if the school food authority was not in operation in the year prior. 2
d. The extent to which the nutrition services promote health and wellness 3
by providing food that is of high quality and nutrient content. 4
e. The extent to which the school food authority uses locally sourced 5
food and products. 6
f. Any other information t he Board deems relevant to the cost and 7
operation of the nutrition services. 8
(2) Ensure the funds are distributed on a fair and equitable basis. 9
(3) Issue the allocation at the beginning of each fiscal year, except that the Board 10
may reserve for future allocation a reasonable amount, not to exceed ten 11
percent (10%) of the total funds available for providing nutrition services. 12
(c) The State Board of Education may adopt rules regulating the provision of school 13
nutrition that impose additional restrictions that are not inconsistent with the federal guidelines. 14
(d) Funds allocated pursuant to this section shall supplement and not supplant funds from 15
any other source provided for the same purpose." 16
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 115C-264(a) reads as rewritten: 17
"(a) Local boards of education operating school nutrition programs shall participate in the 18
federal National School Lunch Program established by the federal government. and, if eligible, 19
the Community Eligibility Provision Program. School nutrition programs shall be under the 20
jurisdiction of the Division of School Nutrition of the Department of Public Instruction." 21
SECTION 3.(c) G.S. 115C-150.14 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 22
"(a1) A school governed by this Article shall provide school nutrition services in 23
accordance with G.S. 115C-263 and G.S. 115C-264." 24
SECTION 3.(d) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 25
"(p) A charter school shall provide school nutrition services in accordance with 26
G.S. 115C-263 and G.S. 115C-264." 27
SECTION 3.(e) G.S. 115C-238.72(b) reads as rewritten: 28
"(b) Food Nutrition Service. – The local school administrative unit identified by resolution 29
shall provide, to the extent practicable, school food provide school nutrition services to the 30
regional school. school in accordance with G.S. 115C-263 and G.S. 115C-264. For purposes of 31
federal funding through the National School Lunch Program or other federally supported food 32
nutrition service programs, the local school administrative unit identified by resolution shall be 33
permitted to include eligible students enrolled i n the regional school. Other participating units 34
shall not include students enrolled in the regional school for purposes of federally supported food 35
nutrition service programs." 36
SECTION 3.(f) G.S. 116-239.8(b)(4)c. reads as rewritten: 37
"c. Food Nutrition services. – The laboratory school shall strive to ensure 38
that one hundred percent (100%) muscadine grape juice is made 39
available to students as a part of the school's nutrition program or 40
through the operation of the school's vending facilities. Laboratory 41
schools shall provide school nutrition services in accordance with 42
G.S. 115C-263 and G.S. 115C-264. Upon request, the local school 43
administrative unit in which the laboratory school is located shall 44
administer the National School Lunch Program for the laboratory 45
school in accordance with G.S. 115C-264.school." 46
SECTION 3.(g) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 47
Public Instruction the sum of one hundred forty-four million dollars ($144,000,000) in recurring 48
funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide nutrition services to students in public school units 49
at no cost to the stud ents in accordance with this section. Should this appropriation not be 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 807-First Edition Page 5
sufficient to fulfill the provisions of this section for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the State Board of 1
Education may use funds appropriated to State Aid for Public Schools for this purpose. 2
SECTION 3.(h) The State Board of Education has authority to adopt temporary rules 3
to enact the provisions of this section until such a time as permanent rules can be adopted. 4
SECTION 3.(i) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies beginning 5
with the 2025-2026 school year. 6
7
PART IV. PROVIDE FOR A ONE-TO-ONE DEVICE REFRESH 8
SECTION 4.(a) Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C is amended by adding a new 9
section to read: 10
"§ 115C-102.10. Device refresh and replacement program. 11
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt by rule standards for a one-to-one electronic 12
device refresh and replacement program. The purpose of this program shall be to provide schools 13
funds to update or replace electronic devices used directly by students and teachers for 14
instruction. At a minimum, the standards shall include: 15
(1) A statewide schedule for routine replacement of electronic devices, based on 16
the average operating lifecycle of the devices most commonly used. 17
(2) A description of the lack or impairment of functionality a device must have in 18
order to be eligible for replacement , including how functionality will be 19
verified. 20
(3) Instructions on how to dispose of devices no longer in use, including whether 21
those devices should be sold or recycled. 22
(b) Local school administrative units shall administer the one-to-one electronic device 23
refresh and replacement program in accordance with the standards set by the State Board." 24
SECTION 4.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 25
Public Instruction the sum of one hundred fifty-two million six hundred twenty thousand dollars 26
($152,620,000) in recurring funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year for the Department to est ablish 27
the one-to-one device refresh program, as enacted by this act. 28
29
PART V. REVISE OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 30
SECTION 5.(a) Beginning with the 2025 -2026 fiscal year, the State Education 31
Assistance Authority shall not award any scholarship grant funds under Part 2A of Article 39 of 32
Chapter 115C of the General Statutes to new persons who did not receive scholarship grant funds 33
in the prior school year. It is the intent of the General Assembly to eliminate the program for 34
awarding scholarship grants under Part 2A of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes 35
beginning in the 2036-2037 school year or once all current recipients become ineligible for the 36
receipt of scholarship grants. 37
SECTION 5.(b) G.S. 115C-562.1 reads as rewritten: 38
"§ 115C-562.1. Definitions. 39
The following definitions apply in this Part: 40
… 41
(3a) Eligible student. – A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet 42
received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following 43
requirements: 44
a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 45
25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of 4 on or before April 16 is 46
eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or 47
equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that 48
the s tudent meets the requirements established by the Authority 49
pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the 50
Authority. 51
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b. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution as a full -time 1
student taking at least 12 hours of academic credit. 2
c. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public 3
agency at public expense. 4
d. Received a scholarship grant for the school year prior to the school 5
year for which the student is applying. 6
e. Resides in a household with an income level between the amount 7
required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price 8
lunch program and not in excess of two hundred percent (200%) of 9
that amount. 10
…." 11
SECTION 5.(c) G.S. 115C-562.2 reads as rewritten: 12
"§ 115C-562.2. Scholarship grants. 13
(a) The Authority shall make available no later than February 1 annually applications to 14
eligible students for the award of scholarship grants to attend any nonpublic school on a full - or 15
part-time basis. Information about scholarship g rants and the application process shall be made 16
available on the Authority's Web site. website. Beginning March 15, the Authority shall begin 17
awarding scholarship grants to students who have applied by March 1 in the following 18
order:March 1. 19
(1) Eligible students who received a scholarship grant for the school year prior to 20
the school year for which the students are applying. 21
(2) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 22
under subdivision (1) of subsection (b2) of this section. 23
(3) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 24
under subdivision (2) of subsection (b2) of this section. 25
(4) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 26
under subdivision (3) of subsection (b2) of this section. 27
(5) All other students. 28
… 29
(b2) Scholarship grants shall be awarded to eligible students as follows: 30
(1) For students residing in households with an income level not in excess of the 31
amount required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price 32
lunch program, per year per eligible student, an amount of up to one hundred 33
percent (100%) of the average State per pupil allocation for average daily 34
membership in the prior fiscal year. 35
(2) For students residing in households with an income level between the amount 36
required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced -price lunch 37
program and not in excess of two hundred percent (200%) of that amount, per 38
year per eligible student, an amount of up to n inety percent (90%) of the 39
average State per pupil allocation for average daily membership in the prior 40
fiscal year. 41
(3) For students residing in households with an income level of between two 42
hundred percent (200%) of the amount required for the student t o qualify for 43
the federal free or reduced -price lunch program and not in excess of four 44
hundred fifty percent (450%) of that amount, per year per eligible student, an 45
amount of up to sixty percent (60%) of the average State per pupil allocation 46
for average daily membership in the prior fiscal year. 47
(4) For all students, per year per eligible student, an amount of up to forty -five 48
percent (45%) of the average State per pupil allocation for average daily 49
membership in the prior fiscal year, unless the student qualifies for a higher 50
amount under this subsection. 51
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House Bill 807-First Edition Page 7
(b3) Tuition and fees for a nonpublic school may include tuition and fees for books, 1
transportation, equipment, or other items required by the nonpublic school. 2
(b4) No scholarship grant shall exceed, p er year per eligible student, an amount equal to 3
one hundred percent (100%) of the average State per pupil allocation for average daily 4
membership in the prior fiscal year, and no scholarship grant shall exceed the required tuition 5
and fees for the nonpublic school the eligible student will attend. 6
(b5) In addition to the amount of the scholarship grant, for any student receiving a 7
scholarship grant in grades three, eight, or 11, the Authority shall provide to the nonpublic school 8
an amount equal to the cost of the nationally standardized test required to be administered as 9
provided in G.S. 115C-562.5. 10
…." 11
SECTION 5.(d) G.S. 115C-562.8 reads as rewritten: 12
"§ 115C-562.8. The Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve. 13
… 14
(b) The General Assembly finds tha t, due to the critical need in this State to provide 15
opportunity for school choice for North Carolina students, it is imperative that the State provide 16
an increase of funds for 15 years to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve. Therefore, 17
there There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Reserve the following amounts for each 18
fiscal year to be used for the purposes set forth in this section: 19
Fiscal Year Appropriation 20
… 21
2027-2028 $700,000,000$193,664,793 22
2028-2029 $725,000,000$168,730,451 23
2029-2030 $750,000,000$147,006,405 24
2030-2031 $775,000,000$128,079,330 25
2031-2032 $800,000,000$111,589,117 26
2032-2033 $97,222,018 27
2033-2034 $84,704,683 28
2034-2035 $73,798,955 29
2035-2036 $64,297,340 30
For the 2032-2033 2036-2037 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, there is appropriated 31
from the General Fund to the Reserve the sum of eight hundred twenty -five million dollars 32
($825,000,000) to be used for the purposes set forth in this section. no funds shall be appropriated 33
from the General Fund to the Reserve, and it is the intention of the General Assembly to sunset 34
this award of scholarship funds pursuant to this Part. When developing the base budget, as 35
defined by G.S. 143C-1-1, for each fiscal year specified in this subsection, subsection until the 36
2036-2037 fiscal year, the Director of the Budget shall include the appropriated amount specified 37
in this subsection for that fiscal year. 38
…." 39
SECTION 5.(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, funds 40
appropriated for the award of opportunity scholarship grants pursuant to Part 2A of Article 39 of 41
Chapter 115C of the General Statutes are reduced as follows: 42
(1) Of the recurring funds appropriated to the Board of Governors of The 43
University of North Carolina for the opportunity scholarship program 44
pursuant to S.L. 2021-180, by the sum of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) 45
for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. 46
(2) Of the funds appropriated to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve 47
for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and allocated from the Reserve for the award of 48
scholarship grants in the 2025 -2026 fiscal year, by the sum of two hundred 49
seventy-seven million one hundred sixty -five thousand four hundred 50
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Page 8 House Bill 807-First Edition
fifty-nine dollars ($277,165,459) in nonre curring funds for the 2025 -2026 1
fiscal year. 2
(3) Of the funds appropriated to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve, 3
as follows: 4
a. By the sum of three hundred sixty -nine million eight hundred 5
sixty-seven thousand nine hundred six dollars ($369,86 7,906) in 6
recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. 7
b. By the sum of an additional eighty -two million eight hundred 8
forty-eight thousand two hundred fifty-seven dollars ($82,848,257) in 9
recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. 10
SECTION 5.(f) This section applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. 11
12
PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 13
SECTION 6. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 14