The grand staircase at the NC Legislative Building (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)
Republican lawmakers will once again attempt to change how North Carolina governs public schools, reviving a yearslong debate over who should control education policy in the state.
House Bill 144, scheduled for discussion Tuesday in the House Education Committee, would ask voters to amend the state constitution to make most members of the State Board of Education elected, instead of appointed by the governor. The proposal also would make the superintendent of public instruction the chair of the board.
Under the current system, the board includes 11 members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the General Assembly, along with the lieutenant governor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent currently serves as the board’s secretary and chief administrative officer.
The proposal would replace the governor’s appointees with board members elected from districts created by the General Assembly. The number of districts would match North Carolina’s congressional delegation.
If approved by lawmakers, the constitutional amendment would go before voters in November 2026, likely joining several other constitutional amendments aimed at increasing Republican voter turnout. The changes would take effect in 2028 and apply to board terms beginning in 2029.
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Critics say the proposal would make education policy more political, while supporters argue the current system is already political because governors appoint board members.
The bill also fits into a broader effort by Republican lawmakers in recent years to shift authority away from the governor. Lawmakers have previously sought to change control of the State Board of Elections and limit governors’ appointment powers over boards and commissions.
If approved, North Carolina would join a small number of states—including Texas, Alabama, and Colorado—that elect members to their state boards of education, according to data from the Education Commission of the States.
NC Newsline reached out to bill sponsors Republican Reps. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) and John Torbett (R-Gaston) for comment but did not hear back by press time.
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