Highlights from the Senate Education Budget

The Senate released its recommended budget for the next two years. Spending for public education, K-12, community colleges and the UNC System, comprise the largest area of spending.  So what is the Senate recommending in terms of education spending?  Here’s a quick overview:

The Senate Budget (budget bill and committee report) adds over three-quarters of a billion ($778 million) in new education spending over the next two years. The majority of that increase ($617 million) is for K-12 public education. Most of those funds are designated for pay raises, benefit obligations and to cover enrollment growth.  Total K-12 education spending now exceeds $9 billion.

The Senate Budget also adds $100 million in new funding to the UNC System budget, an increase of 3.5 percent over two years, and an additional $62 million in new spending to the Community College System budget, a 5.8 percent increase over two years.

Major Education Budget Initiatives include:

K-12 Public Schools

• Teacher Pay: $130 million in raises for 17-18 (for an average raise of 3.7%); $360 million in 18-19 Budget
• Bonuses: $14.9 million in 2018-19 for third grade reading teachers
• LEA Pay Raises: $48 million each of next two years
• Administrator Pay raises: $28 million in 17-18 and $33 million in 18-19 budget
• Enrollment Growth: $32 million to cover enrollment growth
• Textbooks: $10 million in both years of the biennium for textbooks and digital materials
• DPI: Reduces DPI budget by $13.1 million (25 percent) in each of the next two years
• Governor’s School: Eliminates $800,000 in General funding for the controversial Governor’s School
• SBE: Reduces $513,000 in funding for the State Board of Education
• Teaching Fellows: $4.5 million in funding from NE Education Endowment to reinstate abolished program

Community Colleges

• Salary Increases: $17.5 million in each of the next two years for 1.5 percent salary increase
• Enrollment Growth: $4.9 million to fund enrollment growth

UNC System:

• Salary Increases: $43.4 million in each of next two years for raises
• UNC Centers and Institutes: Reduces funding $8 million
• Medical School: $8 million for UNC Western School of Medicine in Asheville
• Budget Stabilization: $2.8 million for Elizabeth City State University to grow enrollment
• ESA Accounts: $1.4 million over two years for scholarships for students with special needs
• Opportunity Scholarships: Increases funding reserve by $20 million in FY17-18 and $30 million in FY 18-19