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State leaders highlight need for $4 billion school bond to improve North Carolina public school facilities

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Gov. Stein visiting Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington. Courtesy of the Office of the NC Governor

On Friday, May 2, Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington received a special visit from two state leaders. Gov. Josh Stein and Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green visited the school to highlight Stein’s 2025-2027 budget proposal, which includes a $4 billion school bond for new and renovated public school facilities.

“Too many schools across our state are overcrowded or need repairs, which often hinders students’ ability to learn and thrive,” said Stein in a press release. “We must ensure that our schools are well-built and our teachers are well-paid so that our students can receive the high-quality education that they deserve.” 

The Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) most recent facility needs survey identified “$13 billion in needs over a five-year period, a 62% increase over the previous survey. LEAs reported $5.2 billion in need for new schools, $1.7 billion for building additions, and $5.5 billion to renovate existing facilities,” according to Stein’s budget proposal.

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To begin to address the need for new and renovated public school facilities, Stein’s budget proposal recommends a $4 billion general obligation bond. The bond would ensure funding is available to each local education agency (LEA) for construction, repair, renovation, and furnishing of new school facilities.

“This school bond is a practical step toward the goal of investing fully in public education and ensuring that our students have safe, secure, and supportive learning environments,” said Green in the release. “Our state is growing, and our public schools need the facilities and resources to be able to meet that demand and to successfully prepare each student for their next phase in life.”

The bond would need approval by the General Assembly and then would require a majority vote by North Carolinians in a statewide election. 

Gov. Stein’s first budget proposal includes average 10.6% teacher raises, restores master’s pay

Pending approval, $1.15 billion of the bond would be distributed evenly among school districts, and the remaining $2.85 billion would be allocated based on district size, with LEAs receiving an average of $35 million in funding. You can view the proposed allocations on page 12 of Stein’s proposal document.

Stein’s 2025-2027 budget proposal also includes an average raise of 10.6% for teachers over the next two years, with higher raises for beginning teachers. These raises would work to attract new teachers and retain veteran teachers and make teacher pay in North Carolina the highest in the Southeast, according to the release.

“Teachers outweigh all other classroom factors in determining how well students perform,” the proposal says. “For North Carolina to attract and retain excellent teachers, the state must pay them more.”