North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Proposes $34.5 Billion Budget With Teacher Pay Raises, Bonuses

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd during an election night event in Raleigh, N.C., on May 17, 2022. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is pushing for large investments in public education, along with pay rises for teachers and increased child care as part of his state budget proposals unveiled on Wednesday.

The Democrat presented his $34.5 billion proposed budget adjustment for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 at the start of the North Carolina General Assembly’s short session, during which the Republican-controlled legislature hoped to pass a bill adjusting spending in the face of a roughly $1.4 billion revenue surplus.

Mr. Cooper said his proposal “builds on the state’s success as the top state to do business in the country for two years in a row and responsibly invests North Carolina’s strong surplus to provide tax relief to small businesses and working families coupled with investments that benefit everyday people, including quality child care, job training, and clean drinking water,” according to a press release from his office.

Under the governor’s plan, teachers’ pay would be raised by 8.5 percent, starting wages would increase to $47,500, and educators would also receive a $1,500 retention bonus.

His proposals would also see $1 billion invested into public schools across the state as opposed to more money being invested into taxpayer-funded private school vouchers.

Another $2.5 billion would be earmarked under a school construction bond to fund the building of 90 new elementary and middle schools across the state, although that price is based on average 2021 construction costs, according to the governor’s proposals, and funding would be set aside for 700 elementary school teaching assistants in grades K-3.

About $217 million would also be invested into programs supporting disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.

The budget proposals also include a moratorium on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, which Republicans passed late last year, and critical funding for workforce training, economic development, conservation, and “resilience efforts.”

Pay Rises, Bonuses for State Employees

Elsewhere, Mr. Cooper’s proposal includes a 5 percent across-the-board raise and a $1,500 retention bonus for most state employees.

In a statement, the Democrat touted his proposals as “an opportunity to build on our state’s momentum and make up ground in areas like public education, quality child care, and clean drinking water, where legislators have fallen short.”

“As the number one state to do business in the country for two years in a row, we have the formula for success in our high-quality public schools, talented workforce, and thriving economy. We must make targeted investments strengthening public education, boosting economic development, and protecting our natural resources to secure a bright future for North Carolina,” the Democrat added.

However, Mr. Cooper’s proposal may not make it past North Carolina’s General Assembly, where Republicans hold a veto-proof majority in both chambers and could effectively pass a completely different budget plan.

Some Republican leaders have expressed an openness to his proposals, having already shared their desires to raise pay for teachers and state employees, and slash taxes.

“There may be some things there that we can work with. There are probably a lot of things that we won’t be able to work with,” Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, told The News & Observer.

However, GOP lawmakers have also prioritized funding private schools as opposed to public schools, which they argue lack sufficient support to provide even the most basic education.

The outcome of a lawsuit regarding that issue, Leandro v. State of North Carolina, has been ongoing for years and is currently being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are going to, I anticipate, work on budget adjustments that will keep us within a growth factor that recognizes population growth and inflation. In order to do that, I don’t know that we can go as far as what the governor is talking about. whether we’ll do any of those things,” Mr. Berger added.

State Facing Shortage of Child Care Facilities

Elsewhere, Mr. Cooper’s proposal also includes a $745 million investment toward bolstering child care and early education for working families and $200 million to keep child care centers open.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper looks on during an NBA game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on April 7, 2022. Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

There is also $128.5 million for child care subsidies that will increase reimbursement rates for providers in rural and low-wealth communities, as North Carolina faces a shortage of licensed child care facilities and programs.

According to the North Carolina Early Education Coalition, just 18.7 percent of the infant-toddler population in the state can be served in the existing supply of licensed infant-toddler programs.

The governor’s proposal comes after he declared a state of emergency for public education in May last year.

At the time, the Democrat took aim at what he called “extreme legislation in the NC General Assembly that would cripple the state’s public education system,” and accused Republicans of trying to “choke the life out of public education. ”

Speaking to The News & Observer, Rep. Jason Saine, a budget writer and Republican who represents the 97th North Carolina House District, which encompasses Lincoln County, noted that while House Republicans have a supermajority, they will consider Mr. Cooper’s proposals. He added that Republicans are “very concerned about public education.”

“We want to make sure that we’ve got a good workforce, that folks are well-educated,” Mr. Saine said.