Senate Bill 360 would require every school in a North Carolina public school unit to have at least one full-time, permanent school nurse beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The bill amends multiple statutes governing local school administrative units, schools for the deaf and blind, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools so that each covered school must be staffed by at least one school nurse.
The bill also appropriates $95 million in recurring General Fund money to the Department of Public Instruction for fiscal year 2025-2026 to increase the School Health Personnel Allotment. Those funds are intended to add nursing positions so that every school can meet the staffing requirement. The bill states that the new funding must supplement, not replace, existing funding for school nurses, and it takes effect July 1, 2025, with the staffing mandate applying to the 2025-2026 school year.
Impact
S360 would change North Carolina education law by imposing a statewide minimum staffing requirement for school nurses across public school units and several specialized school types. It would also create a recurring state budget obligation by directing $95 million to DPI to support additional nurse positions, affecting school staffing formulas, local hiring practices, and the distribution of state education funds. School systems and charter, regional, and laboratory schools would need to ensure compliance with the new nurse-per-school standard.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose and framing are strongly supportive of student health and educational success, and the title and findings reflect a positive policy rationale. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call evidence here showing opposition or support beyond the bill text itself. Based on the language, the measure is presented as a public-health and student-readiness initiative rather than a controversial restructuring of school policy.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is fiscal: the bill requires a large recurring appropriation and may raise questions about whether $95 million is sufficient to staff every school with a full-time permanent nurse. Another possible issue is implementation, especially for smaller districts, charter schools, and specialized schools that may face labor-market shortages or difficulty recruiting nurses. Supporters would likely emphasize student health, safety, and attendance, while skeptics may focus on cost, staffing feasibility, and whether the mandate should be funded differently or phased in.