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Gov. Josh Stein on Monday outlined his education priorities ahead of this year鈥檚 short legislative session, including raising teacher compensation and adding additional school support personnel to meet students鈥� nonacademic needs.

鈥淚f we truly believe that kids are the future of this state, then we have to make the job of educating them more attractive,鈥� he said to a room of education leaders at nonprofit annual meeting.

Stein highlighted education items in his $1.4 billion , released earlier in March, including 5.8% average raises for teachers, funds to restore master鈥檚 pay for more than 1,000 teachers, and a 2.5% raise for principals. Beginning teachers would receive a 13% pay raise in the plan.

The state legislature starts its short session in April. It has not passed a new comprehensive budget since 2023. Stein鈥檚 proposal says it includes 鈥渃ritical funding needs that cannot wait until next fiscal year.鈥�

He said teacher pay raises are needed to raise student outcomes, pointing out that the state鈥檚 average teacher salary ranks 48th in the nation, with its per-pupil spending ranked at 47th in the nation. Those rankings from the Reason Foundation using data from 2023.

鈥淭eachers drive student success,鈥� Stein said Monday. 鈥淭hey are the No. 1 in-school factor of student achievement. We know this, but we have not passed a meaningful raise for our teachers in years.鈥�

Schools also need more support personnel, he said, like social workers, nurses, psychologists, and nurses to meet students鈥� nonacademic needs.

Stein celebrated recent wins, including the state鈥檚 highest four-year , highest on AP exams, and (CTE) courses.

He praised the state鈥檚 move to train teachers in 鈥渢he science of reading,鈥� or a body of research on how students learn to read. All pre-K to fifth grade teachers completed , a professional development program funded by revamping its long-time efforts to improve reading proficiency.

He also highlighted , the , 鈥� a teacher apprenticeship program 鈥� and passed by legislators and signed by Stein last year.

Local innovations like a Perquimans County program exposing high schoolers to hands-on teaching experience, he said, have much to teach the state.

鈥淲e have to take inspiration from and match our teachers鈥� tenacity and our principals鈥� passion,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we believe that our kids are our future, investing in kids is the best we can do.鈥�

Stein pointed to the , which he created with  and , as an example of bipartisan partnership.

鈥淧ublic education is not a Democratic policy,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淧ublic education is not a Republican policy. It is a North Carolina policy. It affects every child in this state. There are so many areas like the cellphone ban, where we can and we must work together for the benefit of our public school kids.鈥�

Stein also urged the General Assembly to reconsider its tax policy, adding that upcoming federal cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), have changed the state鈥檚 financial pressures.

鈥淭he No. 1 item on the chopping block when cuts have to made will be our K-12 schools,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淪o your voice matters in these debates. I urge you to use it.鈥�

The Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) projected a budget gap between $2.5 and $4 billion between fiscal years 2027-28 and 2032-33 between the state鈥檚 revenues and the funding levels needed to continue its current services, adjusted for inflation and population growth. Current law has in place if revenue targets are met, including a 3.49% personal rate in 2027. The corporate rate is set to drop to 2% in 2027 and to 0% by 2030.

On Tuesday, state鈥檚 nonpartisan Consensus Forecasting Group (CFG) , showing that while there is an expected increase in the General Fund, there is a $360 million decrease in revenue expected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27.

Stein said the loss of state revenue, along with federal funding cuts, will make the state unable to maintain its current funding levels, much less invest in new education efforts.

鈥淔ew ideas to enhance public education come with zero cost,鈥� he said, estimating a $3.5 billion funding gap in the next two years. 鈥淭ypically, they come with some cost, which is why, as a state, we must get our fiscal house in order.鈥�

He said much of the state鈥檚 overall success, like its rankings as and , is the result of education investments 鈥渙ver the course of many decades.鈥�

鈥淲e are bearing the fruit of an orchard that was planted a long time ago,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut today we risk hollowing out the institutions that have helped to create our success.鈥�

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