AN ACT to establish a grant pilot program to facilitate increased public school unit participation in science olympiad.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Program; Purpose. – The Department of Public Instruction shall establish the Brown‑Morgan Science Olympiad Grant Pilot Program (Program) for the 2025‑2026 school year. The purpose of the Program is to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by providing students the opportunity to compete in a rigorous academic interscholastic competition that consists of a series of team events for which students prepare throughout the year.

SECTION 1.(b)  Application. – The Department of Public Instruction shall make the application for the Program available by August 1, 2025. All public school units are eligible to apply. Public school units electing to apply shall submit applications no later than August 31, 2025.

SECTION 1.(c)  Awards. – The Department of Public Instruction shall select and notify grant recipients and disburse grant funds by September 15, 2025. The Department shall prioritize awarding the full amount requested to public school units that did not have a Science Olympiad team during the immediately preceding school year on a first come, first serve basis.

SECTION 1.(d)  Use of Funds. – Grant funds received through the Program shall supplement and not supplant any funds currently used for these purposes and may be used for any of the following:

(1)        Registration, tournament, or other similar type of fee required to participate in a Science Olympiad event.

(2)        Team project materials.

(3)        Travel required to participate in a Science Olympiad event.

(4)        Salary stipends to teachers that coach a Science Olympiad team.

SECTION 1.(e)  Reporting. – No later than May 1, 2025, the Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee the following information:

(1)        The name of public school units participating in the Program.

(2)        The number of students and the grade level of the students that participated in Science Olympiad under the Program.

(3)        The number of unfunded applications for the Program and the total dollar amount requested but not funded.

(4)        Any other information the Department deems relevant.

SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one hundred twenty‑seven thousand five hundred dollars ($127,500) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year for the Brown‑Morgan Science Olympiad Grant Pilot Program as established by this act.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.