North Carolina SB 822: Every School Has Resources Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 822

Short Title: Every School Has Resources Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chaudhuri and Robinson (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 23, 2026
*S822-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST LOCAL SCHOOL 2
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS WITH CREATING A DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR 3
POSITION. 4
Whereas, many local school administrative units in North Carolina – particularly 5
rural, small, and low-wealth units – lack the administrative capacity to pursue external grant 6
funding, philanthropic partnerships, and community development opportunities; and 7
Whereas, dedicated development staff at the unit level have proven effective at 8
unlocking supplemental funding streams that reduce dependence on local property taxes and 9
State appropriations; and 10
Whereas, the upfront cost of hiring a Development Director creates a barrier for local 11
school administrative units that would benefit most, as local boards of education are 12
understandably reluctant to commit current expense fund revenues to a position before its return 13
on investment is established; and 14
Whereas, a phased, performance-linked grant model will allow local school 15
administrative units to build development capacity while assuming a graduated share of the 16
financial commitment as the position demonstrates measurable results; and 17
Whereas, North Carolina has a compelling interest in ensuring that all local school 18
administrative units, regardless of wealth or size, have equitable access to external funding 19
opportunities that support the sound basic education of students across the State, consistent with 20
Article IX of the North Carolina Constitution; and 21
Whereas, transparent reporting requirements protect taxpayers and give the General 22
Assembly the information needed to evaluate program effectiveness and make responsible 23
decisions about program renewal; Now, therefore, 24
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 25
SECTION 1.(a) Definitions. – As used in this section, the following definitions 26
apply: 27
(1) Development Director. – A full- or part-time employee of an eligible unit 28
whose primary duties include identifying, pursuing, and managing external 29
funding opportunities for the eligible unit, including competitive grants, 30
private philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, and community partnerships. 31
The position may be titled Director of Development, Grants Manager, 32
Director of Grants and Community Partnerships, or a similar designation, 33
provided the primary duties are substantially equivalent. 34
(2) Eligible unit. – A local school administrative unit, as defined in 35
G.S. 115C-5(6), that does not currently employ a full-time staff member 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 822-First Edition
whose primary duties are grant writing and development, and satisfies at least 1
one of the following: 2
a. Is located in a county with a population of fewer than 150,000 persons 3
according to the most recent decennial census. 4
b. Qualifies for supplemental funding under G.S. 115C-472.22. 5
c. Has a percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals 6
under the National School Lunch Act at or above the statewide average 7
for the prior school year. 8
(3) External funds raised. – Revenues attributable to the efforts of the 9
Development Director that derive from sources outside the eligible unit's State 10
and local formula allocations and standard federal entitlement grants, 11
including competitive grants, private foundation awards, corporate 12
contributions, and documented in-kind donations with verified market value. 13
(4) Grant year. – A 12-month period beginning on the effective date of each 14
annual award. 15
(5) Total position cost. – All costs directly attributable to the Development 16
Director position in a grant year, including salary, employer payroll taxes, 17
health insurance, retirement contributions, and documented professional 18
development expenses. 19
SECTION 1.(b) Establishment; Term. – There is established the Every District Has 20
Resources Grant Program (Program) to assist eligible units in establishing a Development 21
Director position. To the extent funds are made available for this purpose, the Department of 22
Public Instruction (Department) shall administer the Program in accordance with this act. The 23
Program shall commence with the 2026-2027 fiscal year and conclude June 30, 2029. 24
SECTION 1.(c) Application. – An eligible unit may apply for a grant under the 25
Program by submitting a written application to the Department on a form and according to a 26
schedule prescribed by the Department. At a minimum, the application shall include the 27
following: 28
(1) A description of the eligible unit's current development capacity and prior 29
grant history. 30
(2) A detailed plan for recruiting, hiring,