S257 - 2026 Appropriations Act. (SL 2026-41)

Stipends – When funds are made available for principal internship stipends, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must provide principal interns with a stipend equal to the higher of the following:

• The beginning salary of an assistant principal.
• For a teacher who becomes a principal intern, the salary the person would earn as a teacher on the teacher salary schedule.

Fiscal Flexibility – If funds made available for principal internship stipends are insufficient to fund all stipends, DPI can use funds appropriated to the State Public School fund to provide stipends to principal interns.

Certification of Qualifying Principal Interns – The North Carolina Principal Fellows Program or the PPP in which a principal intern is enrolled must provide DPI with certification of the principal interns' eligibility to receive a stipend.

Report – No later than February 15 annually, DPI must submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the principal internship stipends provided. The report must include the following information:

• Demographic information of principal interns.
• Total number of principal interns.
• Number of principal interns who are participating in the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program.
• Number of principal interns by PPP.
• Number of principal interns who serve as an assistant principal or principal in a public school unit within five years of completing an internship, disaggregated based on whether the intern participated in the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program.

This section became effective July 1, 2026.