North Carolina HB 709: K-3 Literacy and Improvement Act.

Status: Passed 1st Reading (as of 2025-04-03)

State: North Carolina · Session: 2025 · Bill: HB 709

Subjects: APPROPRIATIONS; BUDGETING; CHARTER SCHOOLS; EDUCATION; ELEMENTARY EDUCATION; FUNDING; GRANTS; KINDERGARTEN; LITERACY; OCCUPATIONS; PUBLIC; PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DEPT.; STATE EMPLOYEES; TEACHERS; GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Sponsors: Baker, Brockman, T. Brown, Belk, Butler, Carney, Cervania, Clark, Colvin, Crawford, Dew, F. Jackson, G. Pierce, Greenfield, Harrison, Hawkins, Helfrich, Johnson-Hostler, Logan, Longest, Majeed, Morey, R. Pierce, Rubin

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 709

Short Title: K-3 Literacy and Improvement Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives T. Brown, Brockman, Baker, and F. Jackson (Primary
Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 3, 2025
*H709-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CREATE A PILOT GRANT PROGRAM FOR ADDITIONAL TEACHER 2
ASSISTANT POSITIONS IN PARTICIPATING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. There is established the Additional Teacher Assistant Grant Program 5
(Program). The purpose of the Program is to provide the dollar equivalent of teacher assistant 6
positions to participating public school units based on the following ratios: 7
(1) One teacher assistant for every class in kindergarten, first, and second grade. 8
(2) One teacher assistant for every three classes in third grade. 9
SECTION 2. The Department of Public Instruction shall create an application for 10
the Program no later than 30 days after this act becomes law. Local school administrative units 11
and charter schools are eligible to apply for the Program. Applications shall be submitted no later 12
than 60 days after the application becomes available. The Department shall select one local 13
school administrative unit and one charter school from each of the eight educational districts 14
established pursuant to G.S. 115C-65 for a total of 16 participating public school units. The 15
Department shall make selections for participants no later than 30 days after the closing of the 16
application period. 17
SECTION 3. Funds allocated pursuant to this act shall be distributed based on an 18
estimated statewide average salary and benefits per position and an average class size of 21 19
students in membership per classroom. 20
SECTION 4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 21
Public Instruction the sum of fourteen million eight hundred thousand dollars ($14,800,000) in 22
nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium for the purposes laid out in 23
this act. 24
SECTION 5. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 25

View North Carolina HB 709 on LegisTrack → — full text, sponsors, votes, campaign finance, and cross-state matches.