For those teachers who might be waiting for a new budget to pass this school year and any raises for teachers that should be included in that new budget to be reimbursed through “back pay” (like past years), don’t count on it.

Yes, North Carolina is the state in the country that does not have a new budget.

And there is not much that would make that change this calendar year.

Read that again.

The current fiscal year started July 1. In the absence of a new budget, the state operates on most of the funding levels set in the most recently approved spending plan. But not all funding automatically rolls over. And every budget tends to include new projects that are, for now, caught in limbo.”

“In the meantime, teachers and state employees will continue going without promised raises, cuts to Medicaid rates are expected to hit local doctors and hospitals, and planned new construction projects on everything from roads to public universities will be delayed.

Also remember that when Pat McCrory was governor, the GOP super majority changed budget protocol and made the state budget a biennial process. In an odd-numbered year, a budget is set forth to encompass the next two fiscal years. Amendments to the budget can be made in even-numbered years.

Furthermore, if a budget is not passed, then the state automatically reverts to the previous budget’s recurring spending levels which is exactly what has happened this year.

So, we are financing this year with last year’s budget numbers. That’s including teacher salaries. If the traditional school year ends before a new budget is passed, then any new budget passed will not be retroactive to this current school year.

The longer that Phil Berger keeps a new budget from passing in the state, the more money that the state does not have to pay teachers. If the NCGA does pass a new budget before the end of the school year that affects teacher salaries, then we as teachers could receive “back pay” for any salary increases.

But he won’t do that. He won’t even show up to keep funding Medicaid for tens of thousands of our citizens.