North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed the state’s second Helene relief package into law Friday. The $604 million bill includes funding to help schools and colleges recover from the storm.
The bill will give $65 million to the state’s Department of Public Instruction. Of that, $50 million will go toward helping fund repairs and renovations needed because of the storm.
The remaining $15 million will be split evenly between replacing lost technology, funding lost food supplies for schools in national school meal programs, and supporting mental health services for students and staff.
DPI had previously requested $150 million for capital repairs, nutrition supplies and technology losses. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Superintendent Catherine Truitt said she was “grateful” for the bill, but remains hopeful additional funding for summer learning will be included in future legislation.
The bill gives public schools an additional 20 days of calendar flexibility, and grants the state superintendent the ability to authorize additional time in extreme circumstances.
Colleges will also get a boost from the bill. The North Carolina Community College System will receive nearly $17 million, while the University of North Carolina system will receive $20 million. That funding will go toward emergency grants aimed at helping students with tuition, fees and other emergency expenses. It also provides millions in funding for tuition grants covering the upcoming spring semester.
