Senate Bill 649 would restore education-based salary supplements for North Carolina teachers and instructional support personnel. The bill repeals G.S. 115C-302.10 and directs that, for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the State Board of Education’s former policy TCP-A-006, as it existed on June 30, 2013, be used to determine whether eligible employees are paid on the “M” salary schedule and whether they receive additional pay for academic preparation at the six-year or doctoral degree level.
The bill also appropriates $8 million in recurring General Fund dollars to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund these supplements. It would take effect July 1, 2025, and would affect state compensation rules for public school teachers and instructional support personnel who hold advanced degrees.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change North Carolina law by repealing the current statute governing education-based salary supplements and replacing it, for one fiscal year, with an older State Board of Education policy standard. It would create a recurring appropriation to support higher pay for qualifying educators and school support staff, increasing state spending and potentially affecting salary administration across public schools for employees eligible under the restored master’s, six-year, or doctoral degree pay structure.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text and title, the measure appears intended as a pro-educator compensation bill, likely to be viewed favorably by teachers, school support personnel, and advocates for advanced-degree pay, while raising fiscal concerns for budget writers and opponents of recurring spending increases.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the cost of the proposal, since it requires $8 million in recurring General Fund appropriations. Another likely issue is policy direction: the bill restores a prior pay supplement framework tied to advanced academic credentials, which may be supported by those who believe it rewards education and retention, but questioned by those who prefer different compensation models or who oppose reinstating degree-based pay differentials. No specific objections or supporters are documented in the provided record.