State lawmakers continue working to pass a new state budget after failing to do so last year. In a 4-3 decision last week, North Carolina Supreme Court judges overturned the "Leandro school funding lawsuit," effectively preventing judges from requiring the legislature to allocate state dollars for education funding.
Organizers on Wednesday described the situation as a "crisis."
NC Supreme Court ends longstanding Leandro school funding case
"Our students need funding in our public schools. They need resources," said Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. "Our school districts need to be able to hire more qualified staff from the classroom teacher to the bus driver in order to make sure that our students continue to be on the road for academic success."
Meanwhile, Governor Josh Stein has spent several months urging lawmakers to pass a new budget. North Carolina's short legislative session is scheduled to begin Thursday.
The renewed push for funding underscores ongoing concerns among educators as the state heads into a new legislative session without a finalized budget.
"Our students can't afford to not have a qualified educator in front of them. So every moment that it lingers that we are not passing a state budget, we are impacting the academic success of our students," Walker Kelly said.