GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 192

Short Title:      Raise Teacher Pay & Dollar Allot. Study.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representatives Paré, Lambeth, Cotham, and Schietzelt (Primary Sponsors). For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to:	Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

February 26, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to raise salaries and reinstate education‑based salary supplements for TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL and to direct the north carolina collaboratory to study the creation of a dollar allotment system for the compensation of certain public school employees.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i. raise salaries for teachers and instructional support personnel

SECTION 1.(a)  The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience.

2025‑2026 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule

Years of Experience                                                              "A" Teachers

0                                                                                         $5,000

1                                                                                         $5,091

2                                                                                         $5,183

3                                                                                         $5,274

4                                                                                         $5,366

5                                                                                         $5,457

6                                                                                         $5,576

7                                                                                         $5,687

8                                                                                         $5,796

9                                                                                         $5,907

10                                                                                       $6,018

11                                                                                       $6,128

12                                                                                       $6,239

13                                                                                       $6,349

14                                                                                       $6,460

15‑24                                                                                  $6,571

25+                                                                                     $6,823

SECTION 1.(b)  Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. –

(1)        Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule.

(2)        Licensed teachers who are classified as "M" teachers shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule.

(3)        Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the six‑year degree level shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred twenty‑six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided to them as "M" teachers.

(4)        Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the doctoral degree level shall receive a salary supplement of two hundred fifty‑three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided to them as "M" teachers.

(5)        Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule.

(6)        School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level or higher shall receive a salary supplement each month of one hundred dollars ($100.00).

SECTION 1.(c)  For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply:

(1)        The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the "A" salary schedule.

(2)        These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month:

a.         Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement provided pursuant to sub‑subdivision b. of this subdivision.

b.         Three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00).

(3)        These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those of teachers for academic preparation at the six‑year degree level or the doctoral degree level.

(4)        The twenty‑sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one‑half percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on the twenty‑fifth step of the salary schedule.

SECTION 1.(d)  Beginning with the 2014‑2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providing annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule.

SECTION 1.(e)  A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for the 2025‑2026 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following:

(1)        The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year.

(2)        For teachers who were eligible for longevity for the 2013‑2014 school year, the sum of the following:

a.         The salary the teacher received in the 2013‑2014 school year pursuant to Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013‑360.

b.         The longevity that the teacher would have received under the longevity system in effect for the 2013‑2014 school year provided in Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013‑360 based on the teacher's current years of service.

c.         The annual bonus provided in Section 9.1(e) of S.L. 2014‑100.

(3)        For teachers who were not eligible for longevity for the 2013‑2014 school year, the sum of the salary and annual bonus the teacher received in the 2014‑2015 school year pursuant to Section 9.1 of S.L. 2014‑100.

SECTION 1.(f) As used in this section, the term "teacher" shall also include instructional support personnel.

SECTION 1.(g)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one billion five hundred ninety‑seven million dollars ($1,597,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to increase teacher salaries in accordance with this section.

part ii. reinstate education‑based salary supplements for teachers and instructional support personnel

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑302.10 is repealed.

SECTION 2.(b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year, State Board of Education policy TCP‑A‑006, as it was in effect on June 30, 2013, shall be used to determine (i) whether teachers and instructional support personnel are paid on the "M" salary schedule and (ii) whether they receive a salary supplement for academic preparation at the six‑year or doctoral degree level.

SECTION 2.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of eight million dollars ($8,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to reinstate education‑based salary supplements for teachers and instructional support personnel in accordance with this act.

part iIi. study dollar allotment system for teachers, instructional support personnel, and assistant principals

SECTION 3.  No later than February 15, 2026, the North Carolina Collaboratory shall study and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the feasibility and advisability of implementing a system of allotting funds to local school administrative units for the compensation of teachers, instructional support personnel, and assistant principals that is based on the average daily membership of the unit instead of guaranteed positions. As part of its study, the Collaboratory shall consult with the Department of Public Instruction, the Fiscal Research Division, at least one small, one medium‑sized, and one large local school administrative unit and, to the extent practicable, any other stakeholders, experts in the State on public school funding, and states that have transitioned from an allotment system based on positions to an allotment system based on students in membership. At a minimum, the study and report shall include the following:

(1)        Recommended plans for changing allotment systems as described in this section, including at least one option funded entirely within existing appropriations. All recommendations shall (i) collapse current allotments related to compensation for teachers, instructional support personnel, and assistant principals, including allotments for bonuses and salary supplements, and (ii) include a hold harmless component for the affected employees.

(2)        The impacts of instituting the allotment change described in this section on small, large, and medium‑sized local school administrative units.

(3)        The process other states have used to transition from an allotment system based on positions to an allotment system based on student membership, including challenges, successes, and other relevant feedback.

(4)        Alternative compensation structures that do not rely on years of experience to compensate teachers, instructional support personnel, and assistant principals.

(5)        Any proposed legislation necessary for changing allotment systems as described in this section.

(6)        Any other matter the Collaboratory deems relevant to this study.

part iV. effective date

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.