Section 1.

Repeals GS 115C-302.10 (detailing qualifications for certain education-based salary supplements). For 2026-27, applies State Board of Education policy TCP-A-006, as it was on June 30, 2013, to determine (1) whether teachers and instructional support personnel are paid on the "M" salary schedule and (2) whether they receive a salary supplement for academic preparation at the six-year or doctoral degree level. Appropriates $8 million in recurring funds for 2026-27 from the General Fund to DPI to reinstate the education-based salary supplements for teachers and instructional support personnel. Effective July 1, 2026.

Section 2.

Repeals GS 115C-296.2A (establishing the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification (Certification) participation fee grant program).

Creates a forgivable loan program for the program fee for Certification participants in GS 115C-296.2. Directs the State Education Assistance Authority (Authority) to forgive the loan of the application fee if the teacher attains NBPTS certification within five years of applying for NBPTS certification, those that do not pass must repay the fee within eight years. Makes conforming changes. Allows the Authority to forgive the loan if the teacher dies or is totally or permanently disabled. Allows the Authority to establish a lottery for selection if there are insufficient funds to award forgivable loans. Appropriates $1.14 million from the General Fund to DPI in recurring funds beginning in 2026-27 to provide the forgivable loans.  

Section 3.

Sets a monthly teacher salary schedule for "A" teachers for 2026-27 for licensed public school personnel classified as teachers, based on years of experience, ranging from $6,000 for teachers with 0 years of experience to $10,365 for 30 or more years of experience. Provides for a 12% salary supplement for licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification; a 10% salary supplement for licensed teachers classified as "M" teachers; a $126 salary supplement for licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the six-year degree level, in addition to the "M" teachers salary supplement; a $253 salary supplement for licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the doctoral degree level, in addition to the "M" teachers salary supplement; a 10% salary supplement for certified school nurses; and monthly salary supplement of $100 for school counselors licensed at the master’s degree level or higher. Requires that the first step of the salary schedule for school psychologists, school speech pathologists licensed at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists licensed at the master's degree level or higher, must be equivalent to the sixth step of the "A" salary schedule. Provides for a salary supplement of the higher of $500 or 10%. Deems these employees eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those of teachers for academic preparation at the six-year degree level or the doctoral degree level. Requires that the twenty-sixth step of the salary schedule for school psychologists, school speech pathologists licensed at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists licensed at the master's degree level or higher must be 7.5% higher than the salary received by these same employees on the twenty-fifth step of the salary schedule. Provides that in lieu of the amounts of annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, beginning with the 2014-15 fiscal year, the amounts of those longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule. Details teacher compensation for the 2026-27 school year based on either (1) the applicable salary schedule; (2) the sum of the salary the teacher received in 2013-14, longevity pay for the 2013-14 school year, and annual bonus provided in SL 2014-100; or (3) the sum of the salary and annual bonus the teacher received in the 2014-15 school year, with the compensation amount determined to be equal to the greater of those amounts. Provides that teacher includes instructional support personnel. Appropriates $4.39 billion in recurring funds beginning in 2026-27 from the General Fund to DPI for the teacher raises.

Section 4.

Adds GS 115C-302.5, establishing an Exploratory Sabbatical Grant Program (Program) for teachers to support teacher retention by allowing eligible teachers to take sabbaticals from their current teaching positions and serve as substitute teachers in other subjects, other schools located in the local school administrative unit, or both, while continuing to receive their salaries as full-time teachers. Defines department, eligible teacher (who, among other requirements must have worked as a public schoolteacher for 10 years) and Program. Provides for an application selection of teachers, and application timeline. Directs DPI to award a total of up to 500 teacher sabbatical positions and to allocate the number of awardees based on the number of eligible teachers in the unit. Instructs DPI to allocate one additional classroom teaching position to the local school administrative unit for that school year for every sabbatical position authorized by DPI under the Program. Requires the local school administrative unit where the teacher is employed to determine the minimum number of hours the teacher is required to work as a substitute teacher during the sabbatical. At the conclusion of the sabbatical, requires the local school administrative unit to offer the teacher a full-time teaching position somewhere within the unit unless the teacher is dismissed or demoted for cause. Specifies that the position need not be in the same location or the same grade level as the position the teacher vacated prior to taking the sabbatical. Requires DPI to report on the Program to the specified NCGA committee by March 15, 2028, and every year thereafter while the Program is in existence. Appropriates $40 million in recurring funds beginning in 2026-27 from the General Fund to DPI for Program grants. Effective July 1, 2026.

Section 5.

Under current law, GS 115C-84.2(d) sets the parameters within which local boards of education must determine the opening and closing dates of public schools under subdivision (a)(1) of this statute. Amends GS 115C-84.2(d) to provide the local boards of education with additional flexibility in adopting their school calendars by removing the specified opening and closing dates. No longer requires local boards to identify the statutory exemption allowing an earlier school start date in their reports on their instructional calendar submitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board of Education and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.

Authorizes, in GS 115C-84.3, public school units to use up to 75 (currently, 5) remote instruction days or 450 remote instruction hours (currently, 30) towards the required instructional school calendar time (currently can only use such time under specified adverse conditions). Makes conforming changes. Increases the required information in a governing board’s remote instruction plan to include the number of remote instruction days or hours used in the prior school year as well as the number planned for the upcoming year. Requires the SBE to provide that same information in its annual report on remote instruction to the specified NCGA committee. Repeals GS 115C-105.26(b)(3) (concerning waivers to school calendar requirements to provide sufficient days to accommodate anticipated makeup days due to school closings).

Section 6.

Amends GS 115C-301.1 so that all full-time assigned classroom teachers are guaranteed a minimum of five duty-free planning hours per week (currently, no minimum guarantee and planning occur during regular student contact hours). Makes conforming changes. Makes technical and conforming changes to GS 115C-105.27(b) (school improvement plans).

Section 7.

Reenacts GS 115C-84.2(a)(4) as it existed immediately before its repeal and makes the following changes. Increases the number of minimum teacher workdays from five to nine days to be provided on the schedule listed.

Section 8.

Effective when it becomes law, except as otherwise provided.