Legislative Actions on Education

Overview

Legislative Action

SREB tracks and reports on actions on education issues by state lawmakers across the SREB region. Based on research and meetings with state leaders during their legislative sessions, issues of the Legislative Report detail recent governors’ proposals, bills and funding actions.  

Legislators, governors’ staff and others often turn to SREB for the latest information on education issues. Policymakers and their staff may contact SREB staff for assistance at any time.

Publication April 202415 pages

April 2024 Legislative Report

This report presents a summary of the education budgets recommended by the governors of SREB member states. It includes annual budget proposals from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia and biennial budget proposals from Kentucky and Virginia.

Publication February 2023 | 5 pages | 23S01

February 2023 Legislative Report

Governors’ legislative and budget proposals in Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Notes from other SREB states.

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Publication May 202112 pages

May 2021 Legislative Report

Governor’s legislative and budget proposal in North Carolina. Final legislative and budget actions in Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. Notes from other SREB states.

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Publication April 20216 pages

Federal Education Stimulus Funds
A Summary of the Three Rounds of Funding

The federal government provided three rounds of education recovery funding  in the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (March 2020); the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (December 2020); and the American Rescue Plan (March 2021). This document provides a summary of the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund), HEER (Higher Education Emergency Relief fund) and GEER (Governor’s Education Emergency Relief fund) allotted as well as EANS (Emergency Assistance to Non-Public School) funds.

Publication March 20216 pages

Federal Education Funding in the 2021 American Rescue Plan

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 relief package, is the third federal measure to aid in pandemic recovery. SREB offers analysis of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief), HEER (Higher Education Emergency Relief) and EANS (Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools) funding included in the package and other relevant education funding.

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Publication February 202111 pages

February 2021 Legislative Report

Governors’ legislative and budget proposals in Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Notes from other SREB states.

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Resources

Proposed Teacher Salary Increases, 2021

Updated February 2021

Arkansas $2,000 over two years
Kentucky $1,000 
North Carolina $2,500 educator bonuses that would be paid in April 2021
South Carolina

$35 million to resume annual step increases that were paused in 2020-21 because the state is still operating under the 2019-20 budget via continuing resolution.

Resources

Teacher Salary Increases, SREB States
2020-21 school year

Updated January 2021

During their 2020 sessions, legislatures in eight SREB states proposed increases in teacher salaries for the 2020-21 school year. After the pandemic began and states reconsidered their budgets, the states did not act on those proposals. 

Two SREB states acted to increase teacher salaries.

Publication December 202028 pages

2020 Final Legislative Report

Final legislative and budget actions in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. 

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Publication December 2020 | 6 pages
(report cover image)

Education-Related Funding in the December 2020 Federal COVID Relief Bill

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 includes a stimulus and pandemic relief package of almost $900 billion. SREB State Strategies staff offer this analysis of GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund), HEER (Higher Education Emergency Relief fund) and ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief fund).

Updated on January 21, 2021

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Publication

CARES Act Education Funding Allocations
in SREB States

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was approved by Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020. Below is information on the types of education-related funding provided to states in the CARES Act and tables showing funding allocated toward education in SREB states.

Types of Funding Provided

The legislation provides two large funds that can be used for education-related expenses:

Post Jeffrey Grove

State Decisions on School Reopenings

All SREB states issued state-level guidance concerning the reopening of schools for the 2020-21 academic year.

In most cases, the state can only provide guidance, advice and assistance, while actual determinations for reopening — both the when and how — are entirely the purview of local districts. In a few cases state guidance or mandates take precedence over local control.

Publication April 202013 pages

April 2020 Legislative Report

Governors’ legislative and budget proposals in Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Final legislative and budget actions in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Notes from other SREB states.

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Publication February 20209 pages

February 2020 Legislative Report

Governors’ legislative and budget proposals in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Notes from other SREB states.

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Publication January 20209 pages

Top Five State Education Issues for 2020

This report provides an overview of the top five education issues on the 2020 legislative agendas in SREB states, including:

•  workforce 
•  postsecondary access and affordability
•  K-12 funding
•  the educator workforce
•  school safety and school climate