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Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina Increases School Psychologist Pay, Establishes Training and Grant Programs, and Enters Interstate Licensure Compact
Last action · April 1, 2025: Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (House action)Sponsors: Donny Lambeth and 33 others
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What This Bill Would Do
For the 2025-2026 , North Carolina provides monthly salary supplements of $650 and an additional 12% for s, appropriates over $28 million total across multiple programs for recruitment, internships, and university training, and enacts the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact effective July 1, 2025.
s, university training programs, and school psychologists across North Carolina will experience direct funding changes, new grant opportunities, and streamlined interstate licensing procedures starting in the 2025-2026 .
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
School psychologists
School psychologists receive monthly salary supplements, eligibility for signing bonuses, internship stipends, and streamlined interstate licensure pathways.
Public school units
Public school units can apply for recruitment grants, administer internship programs, and receive funding support for school psychologist services.
Field supervisors
Field supervisors providing instruction to school psychology interns are eligible to receive a lump sum salary supplement between $500.00 and $1,200.
University constituent institutions
Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Western Carolina University receive funds to support and expand their school psychology training programs.
Key Facts
- School psychologists shall receive a salary supplement of $650 per month for the 2025-2026 fiscal year in addition to the teacher salary schedule.
- School psychologists holding a Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential receive an additional monthly salary supplement of 12% of their monthly salary.
- The sum of $8,100,000 in recurring funds is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year for school psychologist compensation increases.
- The School Psychologists Grant Program is established to provide grants to public school units for recruiting school psychologists, prioritizing units without a full-time school psychologist.
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- Signing bonuses funded by the grant program shall not exceed $5,000, and recipients must agree to remain employed in the public school unit for at least one year.
- The sum of $5,000,000 in recurring funds is appropriated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to establish and implement the School Psychologists Grant Program.
- An internship program is established providing up to a 10-month stipend at the beginning salary of a school psychologist for full-time students in approved preparation programs.
- Field supervisors of school psychology interns are eligible to receive a lump sum salary supplement between $500.00 and $1,200.
- The sum of $5,000,000 in recurring funds is appropriated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to establish and implement the school psychology internship program.
- The sum of $5,000,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to be allocated to Appalachian State University to host a virtual training program at the Hickory campus.
- The sum of $1,600,000 in recurring funds is appropriated to support school psychology programs at Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Western Carolina University.
- The School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact is enacted to facilitate interstate practice, professional mobility, and equivalent licensure.
- The State Board of Education is designated as the State Licensing Authority for the Interstate Licensure Compact.
- The act becomes effective July 1, 2025, except as otherwise provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the $650 monthly salary supplement?
What are the requirements for receiving a signing bonus under the School Psychologists Grant Program?
What is the purpose of the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 1, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 1, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 31, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 29 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Approach to Workforce Shortages
The legislation combines direct salary enhancements, targeted recruitment grants, internship stipends, university program expansion, and an interstate licensure compact to address school psychologist shortages.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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