State lawmakers have approved a measure to give North Carolina public school districts more time and resources to comply with smaller class size mandates for younger grades.
The House passed the bill with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. The Senate already approved the compromise measure last week. It phases in class size caps for grades kindergarten through third grade over a four-year period. The bill also locates money for music, art, and physical education teachers.
Ronda Mays is president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators. She says many educators believe the bill is a step in the right direction, but they're not sure if it's enough.
“Our concern still lies in the fact that it's sandwiched in with so many other things, and so therefore is the funding adequate in order to make it happen?” says Mays. “We are worried about the long-term costs associated with building classrooms and adding teachers.”
House Bill 90 has been hotly debated because it contains other provisions unrelated to class sizes. Those include changes to the combined state elections and ethics board, and diverting money received from an agreement Gov. Cooper's office reached with builders of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to schools.
The measure now heads to Cooper's desk. He could make it law or veto it.
*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news