Education

passed · North Carolina · House May 8, 2025

HB 981: Local Schools Open Enrollment Study.

HB 981 establishes an open enrollment system, allowing students to attend any public school within their local school administrative unit (district) where they are domiciled. This bill requires local school boards to adopt open enrollment plans, including an application process with specific enrollment periods, a method for parents to declare school preferences, and a lottery system if a school has more applicants than capacity. Students accepted through this process can continue attending that school in subsequent years without reapplying. The bill outlines specific reasons for denying enrollment requests, such as lack of capacity or disciplinary issues, and establishes an appeal process for denied applications, first to the local board and then to the State Board of Education. This system will be effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands student access to public schools within district via open enrollment system, aligning with educational access support indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 918: Standardized Testing Choice Act.

HB 918, the "Standardized Testing Choice Act," establishes new requirements for standardized testing in North Carolina, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. It mandates that the University of North Carolina system accept scores from the SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT) interchangeably for admissions and state-funded scholarships, including concordant minimum scores. The bill also requires local school administrative units to offer eighth through tenth-grade students the opportunity to take the CLT10, in addition to the PSAT/NMSQT or PreACT, at no cost. These provisions directly affect students applying to UNC institutions and those in North Carolina high schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands testing options for K-12 students and UNC admissions, supporting educational access through standardized assessment choice.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 414: 1-to-1 Credit for Career and College Promise.

HB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates 1-to-1 credit transfer for dual-enrollment students, expanding access to college courses while reducing testing barriers for Career and College Promise participants.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 346: Central Carolina Community College Multicampus Center Full-Time Equivalent Calculation.

HB 346 directs the State Board of Community Colleges to adjust how full-time equivalent (FTE) students are calculated for Central Carolina Community College's Harnett and Chatham main campuses. Specifically, it requires combining the FTE from each main campus with the FTE from its respective Health Sciences Center. This adjustment is made to help these campuses maintain their multicampus center status.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdjusts FTE calculation to maintain multicampus status, ensuring stable funding and operations for community colleges under higher education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 4: Sam's Law.

House Bill 4, also known as "Sam's Law," aims to improve seizure preparedness and response in North Carolina schools. The bill requires public school units, charter schools, and other educational institutions to develop individualized Seizure Action Plans for students diagnosed with seizure disorders, in collaboration with their parents. It mandates annual seizure education programs for all K-12 school personnel and requires principals, school counselors, and teachers to complete an annual self-study on seizure disorders. Furthermore, the bill ensures at least one employee in each school is trained to administer seizure medication and requires the posting of seizure first aid information in visible areas. Various educational boards are tasked with adopting policies to implement these requirements, with $50,000 appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for development costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates seizure safety plans and staff training in schools, enhancing student safety and access to education for students with seizure disorders, supporting the educational environment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House May 1, 2025

HB 637: Community of Practice Advanced Teaching Roles Supplement.

HB 637 grants flexibility to Pitt County Schools regarding salary supplements for advanced teaching roles. It allows the $10,000 supplement for an adult leadership teacher to be shared with other teachers. This sharing is permitted when those teachers are collaborating in a "community of practice" to address an instructional issue within schools participating in the R3 Program Community of Practice model. This bill applies exclusively to Pitt County Schools and becomes effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows shared salary supplements for collaborative teacher development under R3 Program, supporting educator compensation and instructional improvement.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAllows sharing of teacher salary supplement, increasing compensation for participating educators under R3 Program.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 69: Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act.

HB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access for veterans via in-state tuition benefits and admission deferral options at UNC institutions.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides in-state tuition and admission deferral for veterans, directly expanding educational benefits and access to UNC schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 10, 2025

HB 397: Use of Epinephrine Nasal Spray.

HB 397 allows schools in North Carolina to use epinephrine nasal spray as an emergency treatment option alongside traditional auto-injectors for students experiencing anaphylaxis. The bill amends school health policies to include nasal spray devices in the definition of "epinephrine auto-injector delivery systems," requiring all schools to maintain at least two emergency epinephrine supplies (now including nasal spray) in secure but accessible locations. Schools must train staff to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms, store devices properly, and follow emergency action plans developed with school nurses. This applies to public schools, charter schools, and regional schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The policy directly affects school staff, students with severe allergies, and school health protocols.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances school safety protocols for student health emergencies, directly supporting student well-being and access to education through updated health policies.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands emergency anaphylaxis treatment options in schools by including epinephrine nasal spray, improving student access to life-saving care and aligning with public health goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 10, 2025

HB 149: School Financial Flexibility Pilot Program.

HB 149 creates a pilot program allowing eligible North Carolina school districts (those with at least 5,000 students and tax authority) to submit a Financial and Hiring Flexibility Plan (FHFP) to the State Board of Education. The plan permits districts to use state funds more flexibly and hire up to 50% unlicensed teachers (who must complete specific training in disability education, behavior management, and safety) while meeting defined academic goals by 2030-2031, such as 100% student career planning and 90% teacher retention. The State Board reviews plans annually and can terminate them if districts fail to meet goals, violate fiscal rules, or have low-performing schools. This program aims to give districts operational flexibility to improve student outcomes, subject to state oversight and performance metrics.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables flexible use of state funds for school districts, directly addressing budgeting (subject listed) and promoting fiscal management within existing appropriations.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows flexible state fund use and mandates training for unlicensed teachers to meet academic goals, supporting district resource management and educator development.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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