Legislative Actions on Education
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.
2024 Legislative Report
Final legislative and budget actions
A summary of final legislative and budget actions in 2024 across the 14 SREB states.
May 2024 Legislative Report
Governors’ legislative and budget proposals
This report presents a summary of the education budgets recommended by the governors of SREB member states. It includes annual budget proposals from Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
March 2021 Legislative Report
Governors’ legislative and budget proposals in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Notes from other SREB states.
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.
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. |
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.
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.
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
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:
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.
May 2020 Legislative Report
Final legislative and budget actions in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina. Notes from other SREB states.
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.
Federal COVID-19 Stimulus Package
Funds for K-12 and postsecondary education
A summary of education funding in the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which includes $30.75 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. Includes estimations of funding by SREB state for elementary and secondary education relief.
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.
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
