NC budget bars State Board of Education members from taking interim school jobs

North Carolina’s new budget bars members of the State Board of Education from taking temporary or interim jobs with public school units while serving on the board. It also writes into law a monthly spending review for school districts that the Department of Public Instruction says it already has in place.

The two changes became law Tuesday, more than a year after Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools disclosed a $46 million budget deficit that triggered state investigations and audits.

Catty Moore, a member of the State Board of Education since 2023, was selected last year to also serve as interim superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to help stabilize the district. In 2024, Moore had also served as interim superintendent for Durham Public Schools. Before her appointment to the state board, Moore was superintendent of Wake County Public Schools from 2018-2023.

It is unclear whether who inserted those provisions, or whether either was prompted by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth case. DPI told NC Newsline neither provision was requested by the department or the State Board of Education.

NC Newsline also contacted the offices of state Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) and Auditor Dave Boliek (R-N.C.) to ask who authored the provisions. None of them responded.

The new law bars State Board members from taking temporary or interim jobs with public school units while serving on the board. Members already serving in those roles when they are appointed may complete those assignments but cannot begin another temporary or interim position while they remain on the board. The restriction does not apply to permanent employment.

Bill Harrison, a former State Board of Education chairman who is set to become interim superintendent of Public Schools of Robeson County on Sept. 1, questioned the new restriction. Harrison spent 23 years as school superintendent for Cumberland, Orange and Hoke counties, and previously served as interim superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington School System. 

“I do feel it’s in some ways legislative overreach,” Harrison said. “The situation in Forsyth was such that they needed someone with substantial experience, particularly in a large school system, that understands budgeting.”

Harrison said school boards should be able to choose the person they believe is best suited to lead during a transition. 

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The budget also requires DPI to review districts’ monthly spending from specific state-funded allotments beginning each October. Districts that spend more than they were allotted must repay the state within 60 days.

DPI also must conduct monthly audits of state-funded position allotments, when practicable, to ensure districts comply with state law.

Although the requirements are now part of state law, DPI said its Financial and Business Services division already has those controls in place.

The financial oversight provision became law after months of scrutiny over Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ finances. 

A state audit report released in August found that district leaders used temporary federal COVID-19 funds to cover permanent salaries, approved purchase orders without money in the budget to cover them, and delayed routine account reconciliations.

A follow-up audit released this March also found the district did not record about $15 million in expenditures from the 2024-25 fiscal year until September 2025, months after the fiscal year had ended.

The auditor’s office did not respond to NC Newsline’s request for comment.