NCSBA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
MAY 12, 2017

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND UP FOR CONSIDERATION

Next week a House Committee will hear legislation to place a $1.9 billion statewide school construction bond on the 2018 ballot.  The school construction bond bill (HB 866) is on the calendar of the House K-12 Education Committee for Tuesday, May 16, at 10:00 AM.

Please contact members of this committee immediately in support of HB 866, the school construction bond bill.  Click here for information on members of the committee.

Here are some talking points you can use in asking committee members to support this measure:

• An $8 billion backlog of school construction needs exist statewide. A bond will provide a significant infusion of one-time funds to help LEAs begin to address some of these critical needs.

• There has not been a statewide school construction bond since 1996.

•  The school construction bond would create jobs in every county of NC.

• The school construction bond is supported by a number of education groups (including school boards, administrators, teachers and parents), county commissioners, trade organizations (including architects, engineers, general contractors), and others

Another helpful action would be to share with members of the committee any pictures you may have of dilapidated or overcrowded schools in your LEA.  Please share those pics with us as well.

It would be also helpful to talk about any needs in your district to build additional classrooms to meet the K-3 class size mandates.  Click here to find a list of additional classroom needs LEAs have identified to us.  If your LEA is not listed here please let us know ASAP what additional classroom space you would need to meet the K-3 class size mandates.  You can send that information to Sean Holmes at sholmes@ncsba.org.

The Senate this week passed their budget proposal for the fiscal biennium.  The Senate budget proposal received final approval on a party-line 32-15 vote early this morning.  There are several concerning provisions in this budget, including Education Savings Accounts, elimination of school boards’ local funding lawsuit authority, removing State Health Plan medical coverage for future retirees, restrictions on allotment transferability, and no funding for program enhancement teachers once the K-3 class size restrictions take full effect.

Attached please find a review of some of the major provisions and money items in the Senate budget.  This expands on some of the items that were sent to you on Wednesday.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Now that crossover is completed and the Senate has finished their version of the budget, it is time to push hard on the school calendar issue and we need your help encouraging members of the Senate to take up one or both of the school calendar bills that passed the House.

Please contact (i) Senate President Phil Berger and (ii) your Senate member(s) this weekend.  Ask them to allow consideration of one of the calendar flexibility bills- HB 375 (giving LEAs flexibility to align their state date with that of their local community college) or HB 389 (allowing a pilot of earlier start dates for certain LEAs to study the impact on student achievement as well as the economy).

Senate President Phil Berger contact info: click here
To find your Senator(s): click here

Leanne E. Winner
Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919)747-6686 direct dial

Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 606-3916 mobile

Richard Bostic
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919)747-6677 direct dial