North Carolina SB 850: Ensure Healthy Schools/COVID-19.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 850

Short Title: Pay Teachers What They're Worth Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Bradley (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 29, 2026
*S850-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE EDUCATOR SALARIES, TO REINSTATE EDUCATION-BASED 2
SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR EDUCATORS, TO ESTABLISH THE PAID STUDENT 3
TEACHING GRANT PROGRAM, AND TO REQUIRE THE NORTH CAROLINA 4
COLLABORATORY TO STUDY IMPROVING EDUCATOR COMPENSATION. 5
Whereas, North Carolina continues to experience teacher shortages in multiple 6
subject areas and geographic regions; and 7
Whereas, student teaching is a full-time professional requirement that often prevents 8
teacher candidates from maintaining outside employment; and 9
Whereas, financial barriers during clinical preparation discourage many prospective 10
educators from entering the profession; and 11
Whereas, competitive salaries and stronger teacher preparation pipelines are essential 12
to ensuring that North Carolina students have access to qualified teachers; and 13
Whereas, the purpose of the following enactment is to strengthen recruitment and 14
retention of educators by improving compensation and supporting teacher candidates entering 15
the profession; Now, therefore, 16
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 17
18
PART I. RAISE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT 19
PERSONNEL 20
SECTION 1.(a) The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 21
2026-2027 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. 22
The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience. 23
2026-2027 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule 24
Years of Experience "A" Teachers 25
0 $5,000 26
1 $5,091 27
2 $5,183 28
3 $5,274 29
4 $5,366 30
5 $5,457 31
6 $5,576 32
7 $5,687 33
8 $5,796 34
9 $5,907 35
10 $6,018 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 850-First Edition
11 $6,128 1
12 $6,239 2
13 $6,349 3
14 $6,460 4
15-24 $6,571 5
25+ $6,823 6
SECTION 1.(b) Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. – 7
(1) Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary 8
supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on 9
the "A" salary schedule. 10
(2) Licensed teachers who are classified as "M" teachers shall receive a salary 11
supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the 12
"A" salary schedule. 13
(3) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 14
six-year degree level shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred 15
twenty-six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 16
to them as "M" teachers. 17
(4) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 18
doctoral degree level shall receive a salary supplement of two hundred 19
fifty-three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 20
to them as "M" teachers. 21
(5) Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten 22
percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule. 23
(6) School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level 24
or higher shall receive a salary supplement each month of one hundred dollars 25
($100.00). 26
SECTION 1.(c) For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are 27
licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists 28
who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply: 29
(1) The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the 30
"A" salary schedule. 31
(2) These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month: 32
a. Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement 33
provided pursuant to sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision. 34
b. Three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00). 35
(3) These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those 36
of teachers for academic preparation at the six-year degree level or the 37
doctoral degree level. 38
(4) The twenty-sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one-half 39
percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on 40
the twenty-fifth step of the salary schedule. 41
SECTION 1.(d) Beginning with the 2014-2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providing 42
annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those 43
longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule. 44
SECTION 1.(e) A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for 45
the 2026-2027 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following: 46
(1) The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year. 47
(2) For teachers who were eligible for longev