As the leaders of North Carolina's public school system, we appreciate the significant investments Governor Stein has proposed in his budget for our K-12 public schools. We are particularly grateful for the robust commitments to raising pay for our educators and public school employees, including an average 11 percent increase for teachers that would move North Carolina's starting salary to the highest in the Southeast.
We have set a bold goal for North Carolina's public schools to be best in the nation by 2030, and getting there starts at the classroom and school levels. That means recruiting and retaining the best teachers, principals and staff in the country. The Governor's proposal would move us meaningfully toward that goal. We also welcome the proposed funding to transition to a weighted Exceptional Children funding model, a long-standing priority that will better serve our students with disabilities and the educators who support them.
We look forward to working with the General Assembly as they consider the Governor's proposal to support the 1.5 million students in North Carolina public schools.