AN ACT TO create a pilot grant program for ADDITIONAL teacher ASSISTANT positions in participating public schools.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  There is established the Additional Teacher Assistant Grant Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to provide the dollar equivalent of teacher assistant positions to participating public school units based on the following ratios:

(1)        One teacher assistant for every class in kindergarten, first, and second grade.

(2)        One teacher assistant for every three classes in third grade.

SECTION 2.  The Department of Public Instruction shall create an application for the Program no later than 30 days after this act becomes law. Local school administrative units and charter schools are eligible to apply for the Program. Applications shall be submitted no later than 60 days after the application becomes available. The Department shall select one local school administrative unit and one charter school from each of the eight educational districts established pursuant to G.S. 115C‑65 for a total of 16 participating public school units. The Department shall make selections for participants no later than 30 days after the closing of the application period.

SECTION 3.  Funds allocated pursuant to this act shall be distributed based on an estimated statewide average salary and benefits per position and an average class size of 21 students in membership per classroom.

SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fourteen million eight hundred thousand dollars ($14,800,000) in nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2025‑2027 fiscal biennium for the purposes laid out in this act.

SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.