North Carolina lawmakers returned to Raleigh after a week-long break from voting sessions. As lawmakers continued budget negotiations, various committees met to approve bills impacting education.
The Senate Education/Higher Education Committee met on Wednesday to approve S1006 K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act, a 33-page bill covering a wide range of appropriations and education policy.
During committee, Sen. Brad Overcash (R-Gaston) amended the bill to require school districts to allow students to participate in off-campus religious instruction during the school day. The amendment revives language in S92 Released Time Education Act filed in Feb. 2025. While S92 would have allowed local school boards to decide whether to offer released-time programs, the new version in S1006 strips that option.
Sen. Overcash’s amendment also included language from H981 Local Schools Open Enrollment Study that passed the House chamber in May 2025. H981 required DPI to study the feasibility of open enrollment, which allows students to attend schools outside their residentially assigned zones within their school district. The amendment changed the entity studying the issue from DPI to the NC Collaboratory.