March 2020

The Fight Against the Coronavirus

The NCSBA Governmental Relations team continues to follow action being taken by local, state, and federal government in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here to access last week’s alert containing vital actions that had been taken thus far. NCSBA also continues to update its webpage containing information and resources about the coronavirus.

During a Friday afternoon press conference, Governor Roy Cooper issued a statewide stay at home order that will begin on Monday, March 30 at 5:00 pm and will remain in effect for 30 days.

NCSBA encourages school board members to communicate with their legislative delegation and representative on the State Board of Education during this extended period of uncertainty and statewide school closures. It’s critical for them to hear from the locally elected education policy makers about the challenges facing your districts and the immediate needs to help students, staff, families, and administrators successfully get through this difficult period.

From the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction

The SBE held conference call meetings on March 23 and March 27. During the March 23 meeting, Board members unanimously approved the submission of a one-year waiver of federal student assessment and accountability requirements for the 2019-2020 school year from the U.S. Department of Education, which was then submitted by DPI and later approved.

Topics discussed during the March 27 meeting include:

• Grading guidance recommendations
• Approval of an amendment to the state’s contract with Istation
• Options for distributing the $50 million allotment directed to public schools by Governor Cooper
• State of Emergency Leave policy

DPI presented guidance on remote grading and learning, which is broken up into grades K-5, grades 6-11, and grades 12-13. The document also includes DPI recommendations for SBE policy amendments and a plan to graduate the class of 2020. Regarding 2020 graduation, the following guidance will be used:

• Students will receive grades for fall courses as already stored, and those grades will count toward GPA – for year-long courses, the fall term grade will be counted toward GPA
• Students will receive a Pass or Withdrawal for spring courses based on their learning as of March 13 (the last day before remote learning began)
• If a student has an F as of March 13, the district/school shall provide opportunities for the student to improve to a passing grade
• If an Occupational Course of Study (OCS) student completes 157 of the 225 hours of “paid work hours” graduation requirement, the student will receive a Pass

Most discussion centered around the approval of an amendment to extend the state’s contract with Istation. The current contract expires on March 31, 2020 and the new contract would begin April 1 and terminate on July 31, 2020. While Vice Chair Alan Duncan initially suggested that the Board vote to table the issue until clarity is given from the NC General Assembly on what waivers will be granted regarding Read to Achieve (RtA), Superintendent Mark Johnson was persistent in the passage of the amendment. Johnson reassured Board members of his efforts to be completely transparent and explained that Istation agreed to provide remote learning curriculum during this time free-of-charge (the current contract is only for Istation’s diagnostic tool). He also emphasized that the contract with Istation can be terminated at any time, that the state has a four-term payment schedule with Istation rather than a lump-sum payment, and that these state funds are required to be used for RtA and cannot be diverted elsewhere. Dr. Tara Galloway of DPI also noted the large increase of Istation users since students began remote learning. Istation is not only being used as a diagnostic tool but also a curriculum provider. Ultimately, the Board voted 8-2 to approve the tabling of an Istation contract extension until the General Assembly is given the option to consider a waiver.

The Board was also presented with three models of how to distribute the $50 million flexible funding directed by Governor Cooper to public schools. The three models are:

• 50% of the funds are distributed based on the number of poverty children per the Title I Low Income poverty data. The remaining funds are distributed based on allotted ADM.
• 50% of the funds are distributed based on ADM multiplied by a low wealth percentage, and 50% of the funds are distributed based on allotted ADM.
• The number of poverty children per the Title I Low Income poverty data and 50% of the funds are distributed based on ADM multiplied by a low wealth percentage.

The Board voted to approve the model that distributes 50% based on the percentage of low wealth students and 50% based on ADM.

The final item on the Board’s agenda was a State of Emergency Leave policy. The goal of this policy is to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 and to protect the health of public school employees. The policy designates mandatory, “high risk”, and non-mandatory employees and lists reasons for each type of employee to use paid State of Emergency Leave. Up to 168 hours of State of Emergency Leave may be granted by employers during the month of April. Part-time employees with irregular schedules will receive a pro-rated share of the 168 hours. Additionally, up to 96 hours of State of Emergency Leave are available for all employees who requested leave during the school closure period of March 16 – March 31, 2020 for reasons listed in the policy. The policy is available to public school employees from April 1 to April 30, 2020 but may be extended by the SBE.

Click here to access all Board meeting materials.

From the NC General Assembly

House Select Committee on COVID-19

The Education Working Group of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 met at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 26.

The Select Committee first heard from Geoff Coltrane, Senior Education Advisor to Governor Cooper, who discussed action taken by the Governor thus far in addressing the impact of the coronavirus on K-12 public schools. The Select Committee was also presented with actions taken by the SBE and DPI. Much of the information provided in these presentations has been covered in their respective sections of this week’s and last week’s Legislative Alerts.

Some additional points that were made include:

• The $50 million flexible funding allotment that Governor Cooper directed to public schools on March 24 includes charter schools
• Over 9,000 individual teachers have registered for DPI’s remote learning training
• With only 35% of LEAs responding, there are 875 teachers that have reported not having internet access due to lack of broadband

Click here to access the presentations.

The Select Committee also heard from Brian Gwyn of the Legislative Analysis Division who discussed how state statutes are affected by the cancellation of EOGs and EOCs. Although General Assembly action was not required to cancel these assessments, action will be required to amend statutes that rely on usage of testing data. Click here to access Mr. Gwyn’s presentation that notes the affected state statutes. Mr. Gwyn noted that this list of statutes is a work in progress.

Click here to access all meeting materials.

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 invites submission of public comments. Click here to submit comments.

The General Assembly is still set to convene in the 2020 short session on Tuesday, April 28. Click here to access the General Assembly’s webpage concerning the coronavirus.

From the Governor and the Department of Health and Human Services

• On March 20
  • Governor Cooper issued a press release announcing his letter sent to President Trump on March 18 requesting food insecurity and health insurance waivers for North Carolinians.
  • Governor Cooper’s administration extended the state tax deadline to July 15, however, interest will still be charged for payments received after April 15.
  • Governor Cooper sent North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation a letter sharing federal funding priorities.
• On March 21 the Governor announced the signing of Executive Order 119 on March 20. The press release highlights provisions waiving childcare restrictions and DMV registration requirements.
• On March 23
  • Governor Cooper announced the Education and Nutrition Working Group’s efforts to provide food to children who are out of school and connect families to childcare.
  • Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 120 that extends school closures statewide to May 15, 2020 and bans gatherings of more than 50 people.
• On March 24
  • Governor Cooper directed $50 million to schools for teaching and feeding students during COVID-19.
  • Governor Cooper issued a press release announcing his letter sent to President Trump on March 22 requesting a major disaster declaration for North Carolina, which would provide more individual assistance.
• On March 25 DHHS reported the first COVID-19 associated deaths.
• On March 26 Governor Cooper issued a press release stating that his request for a federal disaster declaration for COVID-19 had been granted.
• On March 27
  • The Governor announced that parents can text “FOODNC” (or “COMIDA” for Spanish speakers) to 877-877 to find nearby free meal sites for children who need food assistance.
  • Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 121, which places North Carolina under a stay at home order, effective Monday, March 30 at 5:00 pm for 30 days.

DHHS has reported 763 positive cases and 3 deaths from the coronavirus in North Carolina. Click here to access the DHHS webpage that keeps North Carolinians updated on the State’s response to COVID-19.

Governor’s Education and Nutrition Working Group

The Governor’s Education & Nutrition Working Group held its second meeting on Thursday, March 26. Richard Bostic, NCSBA’s representative on the Working Group, shared several of the challenges school districts have faced in the past two weeks. Some of the issues discussed during the meeting are as follows:

Childcare

• 45% of licensed childcare centers and 80% of licensed childcare homes are still open.
• A childcare hotline, 1-888-600-1685, is available for workers in critical industries, like health care, to connect with childcare centers. The hotline has had 1,000 calls since March 20, and 665 callers have been referred to childcare centers.
• 8 school districts currently offer emergency school-based care for critical workers. 8 more school districts plan to offer childcare.

Child Nutrition

• 3 million meals have been served since March 16.
• USDA has approved numerous waivers, such as parental/guardian pick up of child nutrition meals and meal service times.
• All school districts’ nutrition plans have been approved.
• Parents can find the nearest meal site in three ways:
  • Text “FOODNC” to 877-877 – when a response text is received, enter home address to find meal site
  • Call toll-free at 1-866-348-6479
  • Click on USDA Summer Meal Site Finder at usda.gov/SummerFoodRocks

Remote Teaching

• 9,000 educators have taken classes on remote teaching since March 18
• The $50 million made available by Governor Cooper may be used for broadband access

If you have concerns about these issues that you would like the Working Group to address, please email Richard Bostic at rbostic@ncsba.org.

From the College Board

For the 2019-20 school year, the College Board is making the following changes to Advanced Placement exams:

• 45-minute online free response exams are being developed
• Content will focus on what was covered in courses by early March
• Exams can be taken on computer, tablet, or smartphone
• Exams can also be hand-written and submitted by photo
• Solutions are being worked on to address students that do not have internet or device access
• Free AP review classes are available as of Wednesday, March 25

To learn more, click here to access the College Board website.

From Congress

Congress approved H.R.748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the $2 trillion stimulus package to combat the coronavirus. The bill provides $13.5 billion for K-12 education stabilization. There is an additional $3 billion included in the bill for governors to use in addressing needs of both K-12 and higher education. According to the bill, LEAs and states using these funds “shall to the greatest extent practicable, continue to pay its employees and contractors during the periods of any disruptions or closures related to the coronavirus.”

The bill also provides the following funding:

• $25 million for distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband
• $15.5 billion for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program
• $8.8 billion for Child Nutrition Programs
• $750 million for Head Start early-education programs
• $100 million in Project SERV grants to clean and disinfect affected schools, and provide counseling and distance learning
• $69 million for schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education
• $5 million for state health departments to provide guidance on safe practices for disinfecting homes, schools, and day-care facilities

According to Education Week, “the bill does not include dedicated funding through the federal E-Rate program to provide students with internet-connected devices and internet connectivity at home if their school buildings have closed. Dedicated aid for remote K-12 learning is something that several senators and educators have asked for in the last several days. In order to access the state education stabilization fund in the final Senate bill, states would first have to agree to provide funding to education in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 that’s at least the same as the average of their education over the three prior fiscal years. However, DeVos could waive that requirement for states.”

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

Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6692

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

Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6688

The Fight Against the Coronavirus

This is the first of weekly Legislative Alerts that the NCSBA Governmental Relations team will be sending out each Friday afternoon as the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to affect our districts, our state, our country, and the world. We will be covering actions taken by the Governor, the NC General Assembly, the State Board of Education, the federal government, and other governing bodies in this fight against the coronavirus. Additionally, NCSBA has created a webpage that provides information and resources about COVID-19, which includes links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

From the Governor and the Department of Health and Human Services

• • On February 11 Governor Cooper issued his first press release concerning the coronavirus, which announced the creation of a state Novel Coronavirus Task Force, recommended steps to prevent the spread of the virus, and provided resources to learn more about the virus.
  • On March 3 the Governor and the Task Force held a press conference announcing the first North Carolinian to test positive for the COVID-19.
  • On March 10 the Governor declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus in Executive Order 116. The press release contains recommendations from DHHS regarding high-risk persons, congregate living facilities, mass gatherings, travel, and workplace settings.
  • On March 12 Governor Cooper announced that there were currently 15 reported cases of the coronavirus in North Carolina. DHHS provided further recommendations, including recommendations for schools.
  • On March 14 the Governor issued Executive Order 117. The press release highlighted the closing of K-12 public schools, the banning of gatherings of more than 100 people, and the creation of the Governor’s Education and Nutrition Working Group.
  • On March 17 Governor Cooper announced Executive Order 118 that closed restaurants and bars for dine-in/sit-down customers, but continues to allow takeout and delivery.
  • On March 18 the Governor issued a press release about the NC 2-1-1, which provides free and confidential information on health and human services and a phone number that North Carolinians can use to sign up for alerts about the virus.
  • On March 19 Governor Cooper announced that his request for the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide aid for business owners in North Carolina that are experiencing economic losses as a result of the coronavirus had been granted.

DHHS created a webpage to keep North Carolinians updated on the State’s response to COVID-19.

Governor’s Education and Nutrition Working Group

NCSBA is a member of the Governor’s Education and Nutrition Working Group that is tasked with ensuring the health, safety, educational needs, and wellbeing of children during school and childcare closure, as directed by Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 117. The Working Group met for the first time on Thursday, March 19 and established the following goals:

• • Ensure families have access to safe, affordable childcare and out-of-school-time care options, especially healthcare workers and other front-line workers
  • Ensure children have access to nutritious food while schools and childcare programs are closed
  • Ensure children continue to participate in structured learning while schools and childcare programs are closed

The Working Group shared the following about each of its goals:

• • Childcare
    • 50% of childcare centers are still open
    • A hotline is being developed to connect available care with parents in essential industries like healthcare and emergency management
    • At this time, the arrangement of childcare for essential personnel will not be free, but funding sources are being sought
  • Nutrition
    • All LEAs are participating in food distribution for students
    • An app will be released next week that allows students and parents to find nearby food distribution points
    • DPI is trying to locate any underserved areas
  • Online learning
    • Teachers are currently being trained for online instruction
    • DPI created a website for remote learning
    • DIT produced an online map of Wi-Fi hot spots

If you have concerns about these issues that you would like the Working Group to address, please email Richard Bostic at rbostic@ncsba.org.

From the NC General Assembly

According to a memorandum from legislative leaders on Thursday, March 12, the General Assembly has cancelled all committee, commission, and task force meetings until April 1 at the earliest. Legislators and legislative staffers will be working remotely until April. The General Assembly is still set to convene in the 2020 short session on Tuesday, April 28. Click here to access the memo. Click here to access the NC General Assembly’s webpage concerning the coronavirus.

House Select Committee on COVID-19

On Thursday, March 19 House Speaker Tim Moore appointed 72 legislators to the new House Select Committee on COVID-19. The Select Committee will meet remotely and, unless directed by the Speaker, will only meet in its four working groups: health care, economic support, continuity of state operations, and education. The Select Committee may study the following:

• • Documented and anticipated economic impacts associated with the spread of COVID-19
  • Measures necessary to provide economic and regulatory relief
  • Existing authorities, procedures, policies, and resources dedicated to responding to the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19
  • Legislative actions to more effectively address the impacts and challenges caused by COVID-19
  • Measures necessary to maintain the essential functions of North Carolina government during a pandemic

The Select Committee may submit an interim report and a final report of its findings, including any proposed legislation. Speaker Moore appointed Representatives John Fraley, R-Iredell; Craig Horn, R-Union; and Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford to be the chairs of the education working group. Click here to access the Speaker’s announcement of the Select Committee, which provides a full list of committee and working group members.

From the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction

The SBE held conference call meetings on March 14 and March 18. The following topics were discussed in the meetings.

• • The SBE’s Resolution in Support of School Closures and Emergency Actions to Prepare and Respond to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • The Governor’s appointed Novel Coronavirus Task Force, which has and will continue to formulate how the state will deal with issues like access to childcare, nutrition services for students, and remote learning plans
  • DPI’s new website dedicated to remote learning resources and information
  • An extension of the State’s contract with Istation until July, which has not yet been approved as many Board members had questions and concerns

The SBE also released two memorandums that provide guidance to school and district leaders regarding personnel matter, school facilities, and clarification related to the issue of teachers working remotely during the statewide closure of schools. Click here and here to access the memorandums.

From Congress

Congress has approved H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which guarantees free coronavirus testing, establishes paid leave, enhances Unemployment Insurance, expands food security initiatives, and increases federal Medicaid funding. The portions of the bill of interest to the education community are as follows (summaries provided by Congressional staff).

• • The bill includes a general provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to approve state plans to provide emergency Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) food assistance to households with children who would otherwise receive free or reduced-price meals if not for their schools being closed due to the COVID-19 emergency. In order to be eligible, the child’s school must be closed for no less than 5 consecutive days.
  • The Legislation allows all child and adult care centers to operate as non-congregate (i.e. allows them to take food to go). Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to waive meal pattern requirements in child nutrition programs if there is a disruption to the food supply as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. Provides the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to issue nationwide school meal waivers during the COVID-19 emergency, which will eliminate paperwork for states and help more schools quickly adopt and utilize flexibilities.
  • The bill requires employers with fewer than 500 employees and government employers to provide employees two weeks of paid sick leave, paid at the employee’s regular rate, to quarantine or seek a diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus; or paid at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate to care for a family member for such purposes or to care for a child whose school has closed or child care provider is unavailable, due to the coronavirus.
    • Full-time employees are entitled to two weeks (80 hours), and part-time employees are entitled to the typical number of hours that they work in a typical two-week period.
    • The bill ensures employees who work under a multiemployer collective agreement and whose employers pay into a multiemployer plan are provided with leave.

Click here for a full summary of H.R. 6201.

The Act, and the requirements under the Act, expire on December 31, 2020.

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

Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6692

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

Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6688

The Results are In!

North Carolina held its primary elections on Tuesday, March 3. One race has already declared a runoff election for May 12. To avoid a runoff, the leading candidate must gain at least 30% of the vote. Republicans in the 11^th Congressional district, where Representative Mark Meadows is vacating his seat, will have to choose between Lynda Bennett who gained 23% of the vote and Madison Cawthorn who had 20% of the vote.

The Democratic Lieutenant Governor race has also qualified for a runoff. State Representative Yvonne Holley, D-Wake, gained 26.5% of the vote and State Senator Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe, had 20.5% of the vote. Van Duyn has stated that she is taking until Tuesday, March 10 to consider a runoff election.

Two incumbent NC legislators were defeated on Tuesday: Representative Elmer Floyd, D-Cumberland and Senator Eddie Gallimore, R-Davidson. Kimberly Hardy, a school social worker, beat Representative Floyd by gaining 56% of the vote. Floyd has served in the House since 2008 and was running in a recently redrawn district. Senator Gallimore, a first-term senator, was defeated by Representative Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson with 53% of the vote.

Also on the ballot were candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Below are the results, with Jen Mangrum and Catherine Truitt winning the Democrat and Republican primaries respectively. Jen Mangrum is a UNCG School of Education associate professor and previously ran against Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, in 2018. Click here to access Mangrum’s campaign website. Catherine Truitt is the chancellor of Western Governors University NC and was the education advisor for former Republican Governor Pat McCrory. Click here to access Truitt’s campaign website.

Democrats

Republicans

All State House and Senate seats were on the ballot.

Click here to see NC House and Senate candidates.

Click here to see NC House and Senate races to watch.

Some counties also voted on local sales tax and bond referenda. Click here to see those results.

For all other primary election results, including local school boards, click here to navigate the State Board of Elections website.

Fines and Forfeitures/School Technology Resolution

We would like to thank the 105 school districts (click here to see list) that have shared and advocated for their adopted resolutions. Members of the NCSBA Governmental Relations team continue to work towards an agreement for the unpaid $730 million for school technology in the weeks leading up to the legislature reconvening on April 28. To read more background on this court judgment, click here.

If your district adopted the resolution but you do not see it listed, please email a copy of your resolution to Rebekah Howard at rhoward@ncsba.org. If your district has not adopted the resolution, click here to access a draft resolution for your school board to consider at its next meeting.

State Board of Education – March 4 & 5

This month’s Board meeting discussions included the SBE’s recommendations for teachers who administer the NC Final Exams, the SBE’s consolidated report on student discipline, and a recently executed SBE contract.

SB 621/S.L. 2019-212 eliminates the NC Final Exams and requires the SBE and DPI to submit “a plan on how to use other means to accomplish the purposes for which data is collected by the NC Final Exam.” The Board was presented with an assessment model that would measure teacher effectiveness under three lenses: professional practice, instructional practice, and student growth. Board members discussed the importance of a standardized assessment in evaluating teacher effectiveness, which was the purpose of the NC Final Exams. On Thursday, the Board voted to approve the submission of the assessment model but acknowledged that there is still the responsibility of establishing a measurement of teacher effectiveness until this new model can be implemented. To read the SBE’s and DPI’s alternative for measuring teacher effectiveness, click here.

Board members were also presented with a Consolidated Data Report for the 2018-2019 school year that includes the following annual reports: school crime & violence, suspensions & expulsions, the use of corporal punishment, reassignments for disciplinary reasons, alternative learning placements, and dropout rates. Although the rate of reportable crimes has decreased for the third year in a row, there was much discussion about the disproportional number of black students being expelled, compared to other racial and ethnic groups. The high rates of American Indian, black, and multiracial students being placed into alternative learning programs was also cause for concern. Many Board members expressed recommendations for reports in the years to come, mostly concerning differentiating between reportable offenses and subjective offenses, like disrespect and insubordination. Goal I of the SBE’s strategic plan is to eliminate opportunity gaps by 2025, which contains the objective of decreasing the number of exclusionary discipline practices by subgroup. To read the annual report, click here. To read an article summarizing the report and the Board’s discussion, click here.

The Board also engaged in a heated discussion concerning a contract that State Superintendent Mark Johnson claims was not executed under Board policy. Superintendent Johnson stated that the contract signed with the Southern Regional Education Board, who presented to the SBE last month about recommended changes to the school performance grade system, was for $31,000. Contracts over $25,000 require competitive bidding, which Johnson claimed he found no evidence of. Chairman Eric Davis acknowledged his fault in signing the contract and stated that issues with the contract were being addressed. The conversation did not stop there, with Superintendent Johnson attempting to dig deeper into the error. This discussion follows last month’s introduction of proposed amendments to the SBE’s policy concerning the State Superintendent’s discretion in spending state money. Those proposed amendments were a result of Superintendent Johnson’s emergency purchase to extend the state’s contract with Istation on January 7, 2020. To read more about the discussion at this month’s meeting, click here and here.

Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee

The JLEOC met on Friday, March 6 to learn about child nutrition and career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Child Nutrition

Dr. Lynn Harvey, DPI Director of School Nutrition and District Operations, reported that North Carolina has the seventh largest School Nutrition Program in the country, with 60% of our students qualifying for free or reduced meals. In school year 2019-2020, 104 LEAs (57 LEAs district-wide and 47 LEAs in selected schools) participated in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program that provides meals to all students at no charge, regardless of economic status. Representatives from Bladen and Cumberland counties explained how CEP is working in their districts. Julie Pittman, Educator Outreach Manager for No Kid Hungry North Carolina, said hunger is an education issue, an economic issue, and a health issue. Three out of four public school teachers say that students regularly come to school hungry. Hungry children are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are hospitalized more frequently. And children struggling with hunger are more likely to drop out of high school. Ms. Pittman advocated for more state funding of school meal programs.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

Alexis Schauss, DPI Chief Business Officer, explained that the CTE Program is funded 95% by the state ($476 million) and 5% by the federal Perkins Act ($25 million) for FY 2019-2020. Representatives from CTE programs in Onslow and Randolph counties were concerned about inadequate funding for their programs. Nancy Cross, Randolph County CTE Director, said that funds are allotted for students in grades 8-12, but the programs serve students in grades 6-12 (some serve even younger grades). Ms. Cross also had the following comments: (1) LEAs send part of their CTE funds to charter schools even though charter schools do not have to use the funds for CTE, (2) the state does not adequately fund the cost of seeking industry credentials enrolled in trade programs, and (3) the position of a CTE coordinator in schools should be considered an essential position (like a counselor) and be given a separate funding allotment

Click here to access all meeting materials.

The next Education Oversight meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 am in Room 1027/1128 of the Legislative Building.

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

Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6692

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

Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6688