North Carolina SB 659: Investing in North Carolina Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 659

Short Title: Investing in North Carolina Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Applewhite, Grafstein, and Bradley (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S659-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO RAISE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS, STATE 2
EMPLOYEES, COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYEES, AND EMPLOYEES OF THE 3
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA; TO PROVIDE A COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE 4
FOR RETIREES; TO EXPAND THE WAGE$ PROGRAM STATEWIDE; AND TO 5
CREATE A TAX CREDIT FOR QUALIFYING EMPLOYERS EQUAL TO THE LESSER 6
OF FIVE PERCENT OF WAGES PAID TO EMPLOYEES DURING THE TAXABLE 7
YEAR OR TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. 8
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
10
PART I. RAISE TEACHER SALARIES 11
SECTION 1.(a) The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 12
2025-2026 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. 13
The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience. 14
2025-2026 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule 15
Years of Experience "A" Teachers 16
0 $4,600 17
1 $4,685 18
2 $4,770 19
3 $4,855 20
4 $4,940 21
5 $5,025 22
6 $5,110 23
7 $5,195 24
8 $5,280 25
9 $5,365 26
10 $5,450 27
11 $5,535 28
12 $5,620 29
13 $5,705 30
14 $5,790 31
15 $5,875 32
16 $5,950 33
17-19 $6,070 34
20-22 $6,135 35
23-25 $6,200 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 659-First Edition
26-28 $6,295 1
29+ $6,370 2
SECTION 1.(b) Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. – 3
(1) Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary 4
supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on 5
the "A" salary schedule. 6
(2) Licensed teachers who are classified as "M" teachers shall receive a salary 7
supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the 8
"A" salary schedule. 9
(3) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 10
six-year degree level shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred 11
twenty-six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 12
to them as "M" teachers. 13
(4) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the 14
doctoral degree level shall receive a salary supplement of two hundred 15
fifty-three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided 16
to them as "M" teachers. 17
(5) Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten 18
percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule. 19
(6) School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level 20
or higher shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred dollars ($100.00) 21
per month. 22
SECTION 1.(c) For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are 23
licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists 24
who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply: 25
(1) The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the 26
"A" salary schedule. 27
(2) These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month: 28
a. Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement 29
provided pursuant to sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision. 30
b. Five hundred dollars ($500.00). 31
(3) These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those 32
of teachers for academic preparation at the six-year degree level or the 33
doctoral degree level. 34
(4) The twenty-sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one-half 35
percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on 36
the twenty-fifth step of the salary schedule. 37
SECTION 1.(d) Beginning with the 2014-2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providing 38
annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those 39
longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule. 40
SECTION 1.(e) A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for 41
the 2025-2026 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following: 42
(1) The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year. 43
(2) For teachers who were eligible for longevity for the 2013-2014 school year, 44
the sum of the following: 45
a. The salary the teacher received in the 2013-2014 school year pursuant 46
to Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013-360. 47
b. The longevity that the teacher would have received under the longevity 48
system in effect for the 2013-2014 school year provided in Section 49
35.11 of S.L. 2013-360 based on the teacher's current years of service. 50
c. The annual bonus provided in Section 9.1(e) of S.L. 2014-100. 51

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 659-First Edition Page 3
(3) For teachers who