RALEIGH — State Superintendent Catherine Truitt laid out the Department of Public Instruction’s legislative asks related to Hurricane Helene at the monthly meeting of the NC State Board of Education last week.
“Just reflecting on what’s been happening since the weekend, it never ceases to amaze me, the irony that out of the worst tragedies comes a chance to see the best in our fellow humans and this storm and its aftermath has certainly not been an exception,” Truitt said.
“It is with gravity that I present these asks to you all and to the legislature,” said Truitt. “There’s still a lot we don’t know yet. For example. we don’t know the extent of damage to buildings yet to school facilities. We’re still working to assess that damage and there are some schools that folks can’t even get to yet, so I can’t say how long it’s going to be before we know the extent of the damage to our public school infrastructure.”
The areas impacted by Hurricane Helene include 459 local public schools in 28 districts as well as 24 public charter schools.
The NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) legislative asks include $16 million for school nutrition staff deemed employed for scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene and subsequent impact of the storm, and $150 million in repairs and renovations, school nutrition, equipment, and supplies, as well as technology loss that is not covered by insurance.
Both chambers of the legislature are due back in Raleigh to handle the request on Oct. 9.
Three LEA’s with no connectivity; Mitchell and Yancey do not have service and Mitchell still does not have power. Following Truitt’s remarks, NCDPI Communications Director Blair Rhoades noted that Micaville Elementary School in Burnsville is “likely out of commission.”
Truitt said for context, School Construction Grants amounts in legislation to replace a school building is $42 million for an elementary school, $52 million for a middle school and $62 million for a high school. She also noted the $150 million ask would be an addition to federal funds that would be coming in.
The superintendent said the districts already have certain repair and renovation funds that are appropriated by the General Assembly each year.
“Some of them save that money and some of them spend that down depending on what their needs are,” Truitt said of the already appropriated funds. “I can tell you that having looked at that fund balance, some of the impacted districts have $500,000 in there, some of them have $1.3 million. I don’t recall seeing a district that had more than $1.3 million in there so they’re starting with something, but of course it’s not enough.”
Non-funding asks for the legislature to act on include
- Hold Harmless: All employees employed by a PSU shall be deemed employed for scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene. This would be voluntary for charter schools, mirroring previous disaster relief legislation.
- Calendar Flexibility: Allow impacted counties flexibility in missed instructional time by making up days and/or deeming up to 20 days completed.
- Remote Instruction Flexibility: Allow for maximum flexibility beyond the currently allowed 15 remote instruction days or 90 remote instruction hours for good cause.
- Ed Prep Program Internship Exceptions: Allow a student enrolled in an EPP in an impacted county to be deemed having completed the clinical internship requirement if graduating in December 2024 despite not meeting the full 16-week requirement.
- Principal Bonuses: Allow bonuses for qualifying principals employed as on October 1 to be paid no later than November 30.
Concerns about attendance waivers for athletic eligibility were also brought up at the meeting. Truitt said NCDPI will consult with legal counsel to determine if they have the power act on waivers in that area.
“We definitely want to make sure that our students are not penalized for missing school when it comes to participating in athletics beyond the days that are forgiven,” she said. “Because we know that this is impacting families on a very individual basis.”
Addressing class size waiver issues, Truitt said she already has the power to grant class size waivers for situations such as the current storm impacts and that NCDPI has extended reporting applications for districts hit by the storm.
Additionally, she said schools can go through NCPDI’s Financial and Business Services to get a waiver request rolling and that she has directed superintendents to apply as a safeguard if it arises that students or staff changes would cross current limits.
