North Carolina amendment would result in more elected, fewer appointed state education board members

(The Center Square) – The House Education Committee will review a proposed constitutional amendment on Tuesday to change how the State Board of Education operates.

The committee is slated to…

(The Center Square) – The House Education Committee will review a proposed constitutional amendment on Tuesday to change how the State Board of Education operates.

The committee is slated to review House Bill 17.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, would shift the gubernatorial appointment process for selecting 11 members of the State Board of Education to voters. The bill would expand the number of elected members to 14, one from each U.S. House congressional district.

HB17 would retain on the board the lieutenant governor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction, who would preside as the chairman and chief administrative officer rather than an appointed member.

“Elected members of the State Board of Education shall be elected to overlapping four-year terms of office,” HB17 reads. “Elected members shall be elected from districts established by the General Assembly by the voters of the districts in the manner prescribed by law. Vacancies for elected members shall be filled for the remainder of the term of office in the manner prescribed by law by the General Assembly.”

The State Board of Education sets policy and general procedures for public school systems across the state, including teacher pay and qualifications, course content, testing requirements, and manages state education funds.

It is currently comprised of 11 gubernatorial appointees, one from each of the state’s eight education regions, and three at-large appointees. They serve eight-year terms, and vacancies are filled by the governor for the unexpired terms without approval from the General Assembly.

HB17 would require vacancies to receive confirmation from lawmakers.

Blackwell, co-chairman of the House Select Committee on an Education System for North Carolina’s Future, has highlighted conflicts between members appointed by the Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and elected Republican state Superintendent Catherine Truitt during public hearings over the last year.

Blackwell has suggested a state board headed by the superintendent would help to eliminate what he refers to as a “double-headed situation.”

With election of the majority of members, HB17 would diminish the governor’s influence on education policy.

The bill would involve a change to the state constitution, a move that requires approval from voters as well as the General Assembly. If approved by lawmakers, voters would weigh in on the November 2024 presidential election ballot.

The proposed changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, if a majority of voters approve, and would apply to terms of office beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

If passed by the House Education Committee, HB17 would next head to the House Judiciary 3 Committee. Blackwell chairs both the House Education and Judiciary 3 committees.