NC lawmakers' proposed budget $443M short of Leandro requirements, group says

The lawsuit, filed in 1994, argued that the state was not proving adequate resources to enable a constitutionally-promised quality education to public school students. Courts have since ruled the state is not providing a “sound basic education” to the state’s children, but haven't ruled on the resources question.

The case has lingered open for years without a proposed resolution until parties agreed to a resolution last year. The hangup is whether lawmakers will fund it.

“I see a state unwilling to prioritize children,” Susan Book, a parent of a child with a disability said Wednesday at an Every Child NC news conference outside of the state legislative building. “Instead we're seeing our state prioritize corporations and tax cuts before children's livelihood."

Book said many teachers are unprepared or unable to serve students with disabilities, like her son. Other speakers lamented high turnover among teachers and what they described as low pay, leaving some classrooms without a teacher for months this past school year and some early childhood education classrooms empty entirely, despite wait lists.

“We are over the cliff, and the early education system is crashing,” said Gayle Headen, executive director of Wake County Smart Start.

Wednesday's news conference was held less than 24 hours after Republican lawmakers released their proposed budget for next year.

A budget will likely be voted on this week before heading to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for a signature or veto.

Lawmakers’ proposed expansion of education funding largely covers salaries, school safety and private school vouchers.

When asked about funding for the Leandro Plan during a Tuesday news conference on the budget, State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said lawmakers have done what they’re required to do and dismissed the plan.

How are North Carolina schools funded?

“We looked at the requirements for funding public education in North Carolina and we appropriated dollars to do that,” Berger said. “How that matches up with what a nonprofit from California determined was an appropriate amount, I couldn’t say. But this is a North Carolina budget adopted by North Carolina representatives and Senators elected by the people of North Carolina.”

The WestEd report was also paid for with money from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. The foundation was started by the founder of Capitol Broadcasting Co., which owns WRAL. CBC executives sit on its board.

The suing school boards and the state have asked the trial judge to force the General Assembly’s hand in funding the plan, while legislative interveners and state controller have contended only lawmakers have the authority to make budgeting decisions.

The Leandro Plan calls for $998 million next year, including measures to increase per pupil funding for special education or English learner students.

What is the 'Leandro Plan?'

Every Child NC estimates Republicans’ proposal funds $554.8 million of the plan. That shows some evidence of lawmakers’ willingness to acknowledge the Leandro court case, said Brian Link, a civics teacher in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and member of the North Carolina Association of Educators board of directors.

The state has surpluses of funds that could cover the plan, Link said. Future years have higher costs in the Leandro Plan, as more measures are added to improve the state’s schools. “There’s far more funding to be committed in years to come,” he said.

Lawmakers’ proposed budget includes $278 million for school buildings and just more than $200 million toward school employee salary and wage increases. In recent budgets, lawmakers have been more amenable to pay raises than other things called for in the Leandro Plan, including policy changes that would not require a direct cost.

The proposed budget goes beyond what the Leandro Plan calls for in terms of employees compensation. State analyses of the budget submitted in court in April found the raises and supplements fell $32.7 million short in fiscal 2022 and would fall $70.8 million short next year.

Raises for teachers under lawmakers’ new proposed fiscal 2023 budget would cost $108.9 million more and add $70 million more toward teacher supplements in 110 of the state’s 115 school systems. At the same time, abnormally high inflation has caused employees’ buying power to decrease dramatically, by a higher percentage than their pay would increase.

Lawmakers’ budget would provide another nearly $30 million toward other employee pay raises.