GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 2*

Short Title:  Excellent Schools Act Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Black; Alexander, Allen, Allred, Baddour, Barefoot, Bonner, Bridgeman, Cansler, Church, Cole, Cox, Crawford, Cunningham, Dedmon, Earle, Easterling, Edwards, Fox, Gibson, Goodwin, Hackney, Haire, Hardaway, Hensley, Hill, Horn, Hunter, Hurley, Insko, Jarrell, Jeffus, Luebke, McCrary, McLawhorn, Melton, Michaux, Miller, Moore, Morris, Mosley, Nesbitt, Nye, Oldham, Owens, Ramsey, Rayfield, Redwine, Rogers, Russell, Saunders, Sherrill, Smith, Sutton, Thomas, Tolson, Tucker, Wainwright, Walend, Warner, Warren, Warwick, Wright, and Yongue.

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Referred to:  Appropriations.

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January 28, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS ACT.
Whereas, North Carolina has always recognized the importance of public education to the civic and economic well-being of the State; and
Whereas, as early as 1776, the North Carolina Constitution directed the General Assembly to establish public schools; and
Whereas, today, the North Carolina Constitution guarantees every child in this State an opportunity to receive a sound basic education in our public schools; and 
Whereas, the General Assembly of North Carolina recognizes that it is imperative that the public school system provide our students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful as citizens and in the workplace; and
Whereas, in recent years, North Carolina has made significant strides in improving public education; and
Whereas, recent initiatives in North Carolina including the Excellent Schools Act, the ABC's of Public Education Program, the Safe Schools Initiatives, Low-Wealth Schools Supplemental Funding, Small Schools Supplemental Funding, and Smart Start are resulting in significant, measurable improvements in public schools; and
Whereas, the National Education Goals Panel, a bipartisan panel of State and federal leaders, found that North Carolina and Texas lead all states in the nation in gains in mathematics and reading achievement; and
Whereas, SAT scores have increased for 10 years; and
Whereas, full implementation of the Excellent Schools Act, which links higher standards for public school teachers to higher pay, will result in even greater improvements in public education in the future; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to State Aid to Local School Administrative Units the sum of two hundred seventy-four million eight hundred eighty-nine thousand one hundred seventy dollars ($274,889,170) for the 1999-2000 fiscal year and the sum of five hundred sixty-nine million five hundred thirty-four thousand five hundred seventy dollars ($569,534,570) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to implement the commitments made in the Excellent Schools Act to increase teacher compensation.
Section 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1999.