The N.C. Center for Safer Schools is accepting applications for the 2019-2020 School Safety Grant Program until next Friday, October 25. The purpose of the School Safety Grants Program is to improve safety in public school units by providing grants for school resource officers, services for students in crisis, school safety training, safety equipment in schools, and additional school mental health support personnel. Interested public-school units should review the criteria set forth by the grant review committee, and submit their applications no later than Oct. 25 at 11:59 P.M. Applications can be found on the CCIP grants management system at ccip.schools.nc.gov.
Despite October being the designated month to celebrate hardworking school principals across the nation, many principals in North Carolina may be disappointed to learn they will not receive their expected performance bonuses this month, as the state budget impasse continues. North Carolina law allows certain funding to continue at the previous year’s levels absent a state budget; however, principal bonuses are not covered under that continuation-budget authority and must be approved by lawmakers each year. In a School Business Newsletter sent last week, Department of Public Instruction (DPI) staff noted, “No performance bonuses for principals are authorized at this time, and School Business will not be providing an allotment unless legislative authority is provided.” Bonuses for veteran teachers, as well as salary step increases expected on July 1, 2019, have also been put on hold indefinitely.
Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives approved on Wednesday a bill providing calendar flexibility and compensation authorization for Ocracoke School, which experienced unprecedented damage during Hurricane Dorian in early September. The bill was unanimously passed a day after Governor Cooper received notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stating his request for Individual Assistance for Hurricane Dorian victims had been denied.
FAST NC, a bipartisan group formed to provide aid to students and teachers in the wake of Hurricane Florence, has opened a final round of grant applications for Florence-impacted schools, as well as an opening round of applications for schools impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Both of these applications, which can be accessed on the FASTNC webpage, are due by October 18, 2019.
NCASA is Hiring!
NCASA is hiring a full-time Executive Assistant to join our team in Raleigh. Click here to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!
2019 NCASA Member Survey
NCASA wants to hear from you! We've launched a member survey series with a new topic featured each week in In The Know. Take a minute to tell us how we're doing, and what you'd like to see us work towards.
