The new legislative session is underway and at the top of the agenda is to figure out how much to spend on public education and where the money should be spent.
Nearly 40% of the state budget typically goes to fund K-12 education.
State education superintendent Catherine Truitt told WUNC that one priority for this legislative session to improve education for children in North Carolina is to address student mental health needs. She said the state board needs to ensure that there is at least one nurse in every school and across the state. They’ve asked for $100 million from the legislature to fund that.
Students also struggled academically during the coronavirus pandemic and Truitt said the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration continues to work with school districts when it comes to ways that they can spend the $6.2 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds. She said there is about $3 billion left.
Truitt added that she always tells the General Assembly that teacher pay needs to be more competitive with other professions with like education credentials.
