Summer Nutrition Programs fulfill a critical need in providing nourishment and educational enrichment to children when school is out. Fifteen Summer Nutrition Programs in North Carolina were recently recognized with one of three state-level awards for going above and beyond to serve children.
Press Releases
State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today that an additional $35 million has been awarded to school districts affected by Hurricane Florence, meaning all $60 million appropriated by the General Assembly on Oct. 15 as part of the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund has been distributed to schools. Funding in the first round of awards, announced Oct. 16 and totaling $25 million, was focused on assisting districts in reopening closed schools. Monday, districts learned of the awards in this final round, which total $35 million and are intended to again assist districts with reopening closed schools as well as covering the costs already incurred to reopen schools, with a priority given to districts that have depleted or encumbered their local funds.
North Carolina’s high school class of 2018 saw performance gains over the previous year’s graduates on the SAT college admissions exam while also opening a wider margin with the nation overall, according to results released today by The College Board, which administers the national exams.
State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today that the N.C. Department of Public Instruction is disbursing $60 million in emergency capital funding for the public schools damaged by Hurricane Florence: $25 million from the N.C. Education Lottery fund and $35 million appropriated by the General Assembly Monday from the state’s rainy-day fund. The funds will go toward emergency capital needs for damaged schools in the 28 counties designated in President Donald Trump’s disaster declaration following the storm and flooding in September.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded an $8.8 million grant to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in support of NC Project ACTIVATE, a five-year program that increases mental health awareness for students, provides training for staff in recognizing and accommodating students with mental health needs, continues research into early prevention plans for substance abuse, and more.
North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $141 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Anson, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Cherokee, Columbus, Martin, McDowell, Mitchell, Nash, Swain and Tyrrell counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas.
A historic storm has devastated parts of North Carolina. In response, a historic, bipartisan coalition of current and former state education leaders presented their effort to aid schools to the State Board of Education, promoting Florence Aid to Students and Teachers (FAST NC) as an drive to help North Carolina’s public schools as students and educators struggle to return to normal.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Charter Schools will receive $23.6 million over five years to help the state’s charter schools meet the needs of economically disadvantaged students. North Carolina is one of eight states to receive the Expanding Opportunities Through Quality Charter School Program grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized eight North Carolina schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Thirty-five nonprofit boards submitted applications to open public charter schools in August 2020. A listing of applicants is available on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Office of Charter Schools’ website .
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) School Nutrition Services Section, along with a diverse group of partners, is inviting all private nonprofits, public organizations and advocates interested in eliminating summer hunger for children to participate in the fifth annual SummerPalooza! Summits. This year's theme, "Strength in Numbers," represents a focus on collaboration among diverse partners to create more sustainable and successful Summer Nutrition Programs in North Carolina.
State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Friday the appointment of Joseph Maimone as the new chief of staff at the Department of Public Instruction.
The North Carolina State Board of Education recognized three public schools earlier this month for exemplary leadership and instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. These schools are the latest schools to be recognized under the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's STEM Recognition Program.
State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Monday the appointments of LaTeesa Allen as new superintendent of the Innovative School District (ISD) and Christie Lynch Ebert as the new director for DPI’s Standards, Curriculum and Instruction division. Both positions will report to Eric Hall, who was recently named deputy state superintendent of innovation.
As Hurricane Florence continues to affect the state, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is providing the following updates.
More than a third of North Carolina's 2,537 public schools earned As and Bs for 2017-18 under the state’s annual School Performance Grade accountability measurement, with nearly three quarters meeting or exceeding expectations for academic progress. About 22 percent of the schools received a grade of D or F.
Joined by state legislators, school administrators, law enforcement officials and members of the mental health professionals, State Superintendent Mark Johnson proclaimed September as School Safety Month in North Carolina, pointing to the importance of school safety and highlighting efforts to ensure all North Carolina students have a safe and productive school year.
State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced three new additions to the leadership team at the Department of Public Instruction today. Kathryn Johnston will serve as the newly created deputy superintendent of operations, Michael Wells will be the director of federal programs, and Barbara Roper will be the new chief financial officer.
As many students in North Carolina public schools begin school this week, State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced that he has taken steps to reduce the time spent testing for many of the state’s youngest scholars. The move follows a survey (pdf, 101kb) Johnson sent to teachers last school year that showed that 76 percent of North Carolina teachers think their students are tested too much.
School nutrition managers from across North Carolina have had the opportunity this summer to participate in regional K-12 Culinary Institute workshops. The School Nutrition Services Section of the Department of Public Instruction designed the institute to increase the availability of appealing, nutritious meals at school.