State lawmakers returned to Raleigh this week to hold a special legislative session. The special session, which started on Wednesday, involved lawmakers taking up veto overrides and moving a few stand-alone pieces of legislation, including a multi-part “technical corrections” bill. Prior to the start of the special session, NCSBA contacted all legislators outlining several issues with the new school administrator pay model and principal bonuses with the hope that lawmakers would address some of the concerns while they were in town. Attached please find a copy of the email that NCSBA transmitted to lawmakers with the school administrator pay concerns.
The “technical corrections” bill that ultimately passed (SB 582) included one of the school administrator pay fixes- a clarification that principals and assistant principals who are paid on the teacher salary schedule WILL be held harmless for the 2017-18 fiscal year. SB 582 did NOT extend the hold harmless past 2017-18 or make any of the other fixes NCSBA suggested. The bill did NOT include any relief from the lower K-3 class size requirements for next school year. There is a provision clarifying test cut scores for new teachers to qualify for accelerated placement on the salary schedule. Governor Roy Cooper has 10 days to sign or veto the bill. There are several controversial provisions in the bill which could prompt his veto. Notably, the bill did not pass either chamber with enough votes to override a veto (29-17 in the Senate and 70-46 in the House).
Lawmakers will be holding skeleton sessions (no votes) until October 17 to avoid having to return in November to hold veto override votes. There will be another special session beginning January 10, 2018, at which the General Assembly may take up a number of different items, including: judicial redistricting, constitutional amendments, vetoes, pending conference reports, bills responding to legal challenges and local bills that passed the originating chamber.