The NC House earlier today (May 22nd) gave approval to a $32.6 billion state budget proposal for 2025-26 that includes a major boost for teacher pay and larger increases for other school and state employees than approved by the Senate in April. With pay raises for K-12 personnel factored in, the House plan would provide $15.1 billion for public schools in 2025-26, and $2.7 billion of that would come from receipts, including those from the Education Lottery.
 
In the coming weeks, House budget writers will negotiate with their Senate counterparts to hammer out a final state budget package to take effect for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
 

House Budget Documents

• House Budget Special Provisions (Bill Text) — Senate Bill 257, 6th Edition
• House Budget Committee “Money” Report

 
Employee Raises — all salary-related appropriations are recurring and would be effective July 1, 2025, unless otherwise noted.

• Teachers and Instructional Support Personnel — Provides an average 8.7% raise over 2 years.

• Increases starting teacher pay to $48,000 for this coming fiscal year and $50,000 for FY 26-27.
• Consolidates all previous teacher bonus programs into one including AP/IB/Cambridge AICE, Industry Certifications and Credentials, Third Grade Read to Achieve, Fourth and Fifth Grade Reading, Fourth to Eighth Grade Math, Advanced Course and CTE, and Student Growth; makes the bonuses eligible to teachers in any public school unit; and applies with bonuses to be paid in January 2026 based on data from the 2024-25 year (Section 7A.2)

• Assistant Principals —Provides increases tied to the teacher pay schedule.
• Principals — Would receive raises of 2.5% in FY 25-26; also continues the existing bonus program for principals whose school scores in the Top 50% in growth and provides awards ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, payable no later than Oct. 31 to those who qualify.
• Noncertified Personnel and Central Office — Would receive raises of 2.5% in FY 25-26.

 
Health Care & Retirement

• Retirement Employer Contribution — Sets rates of 24.97 % for 2025-26 and 26.00% for 2026-27.
• State Health Plan Employer Contribution — Sets the annual rate of $8,500 in 2025-26 and $8,905 for 2026-27.
• Retiree Cost-of-Living Supplement — Retired state employees would receive a 1% bonus in the first year and a 2% COLA bonus in the second year.

 
Committee “Money” Report Changes To Public School Funding
See the chart here, which was compiled by the Department of Public Instruction to summarize earlier state budget proposals for K-12 education and was then updated by NCASA 5/22/25 to add the House-proposed spending changes for public schools.
 
Public School Special Provisions In Bill Text

• Sec. 4.3, Education Lottery Funds — Provides the following in 2025-26: $385,914,455 for Noninstructional Support, $78,252,110 for Pre-K, $100 million for the Public School Building Capital Fund, $280,120,000 for the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, $70 million for the Public School Repair & Renovation Fund, $28,819,733 for the Scholarship Reserve Fund for Public Colleges and Universities, and $182,193,702 for School Transportation. Provides the same amounts to the specified programs in 2026-27 except for the following increased amounts: $282,680,000 for the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, and $186,033,702 for School Transportation.
   
• Sec. 4.4, Indian Gaming Education Revenue Fund Appropriations —Provides the following: $10 million in both years for Classroom Materials and $3.5 million for Instructional Materials in 2025-26. The latter would increase to $15.5 million in 2026-27.
   
• Sec. 4.5, Civil Penalty And Forfeiture Fund – Provides the following in both years: $18 million for School Technology, $31,493,768 for Drivers Education, and $166,041,640 for the State Public School Fund, except the latter would decrease to $186,041,640 in 2026-27.
   
• Sec. 5.19, Increase Punishment for Assaulting Teachers – Specifies that unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who commits any “assault, battery, or affray” is guilty of a Class 1 felony, if he or she assaults a school employee or school volunteer that is discharging his or her duties. In addition, it directs that no school personnel who take reasonable actions in good faith to end a fight or altercation between students shall incur any civil or criminal liability as the result of those actions.
   
• Sec. 6.5, Chapter 115D Reorganization – Reorganizes Chapter 115D (Community Colleges) that details statutory requirements for the following: Career and College Promise Program, Cooperative Innovative High Schools, Noncredit Courses, Gateway to College Program, NC Career Coach Program, and Driving Eligibility Certificate.
   
• Section 6.8, Expedited Teacher Pipeline Pathway Study – Directs ApprenticeshipNC to report to JLEOC by March 15 each year on a plan to facilitate one or more expedited pathways for apprenticeship candidates to enter the teaching profession; and to develop the plan in collaboration with the Board of Governors of The University Of North Carolina, The State Board Of Community Colleges, The Department of Public Instruction, and Teach NC.
   
• Section 7A.1B, Publicize Minimum Salary Schedule for Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists – Directs local boards of education to adopt a minimum salary schedule for occupational therapists and physical therapists employed in full time positions and to report the salary schedule to DPI by Oct. 15 for a statewide report submission to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee by Dec. 15.
   
• Section 7.2, Clarify Learning.com Funding – Does as title indicates by prohibiting the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) from taking action to impede public school units from accessing Learning.com.
   
• Section 7.3, Repeal Plasma Games – Does as title indicates to eliminate funding for this program.
   
• Section 7.5, Beginnings For Parents Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing – Requires this organization to submit reports to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Department of Public Instruction by Dec. 31, 2025, and June 30, 2026, regarding their use of state funding from the prior fiscal year.
   
• Section 7.6, Repeal Schools That Lead Program – Does as title indicates to eliminate funding for this program.
   
• Section 7.8, Streamline Limited English Proficient Allotment – Revises the allotment to provide funds to LEP students in public school units based on a three-year average of their enrollment.
   
• Section 7.9, Repeal Textbook Commission – Does as title indicates and rewrites Part 3 of Article 8 of Chapter 115C to replace “textbook” throughout with “instructional materials.”
   
• Section 7.10, Stabilization Of Low-Wealth Allotment – Requires DPI to distribute supplemental funding for low-wealth counties in the same amount to each county as was distributed for the 24-25 FY (revised 5/20/25)
   
• Section 7.11, Technical Adjustment To Administrative Licensure Requirements – Clarifies that the portfolio requirement for an administrator license is limited to those seeking licensure as a principal.
   
• Section 7.12, Various Education Report Changes – Makes changes to due dates of various reports required of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or the State Board of Education, and changes names and/or components required for some reports.
   
• Section 7.13, Elementary And Middle School Literacy Improvement – Provides $1,390,800 recurring both years and $966,508 non-recurring in 2025-26 to expand the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) reading diagnostic to 4th and 5th grade; also extends to these grades the Individual Reading Plans and requires notification of parents or guardians of students in those grades who are not reading on grade level. Also requires DPI to contract with Lexia Learning Systems, LLC, to provide Lexia Aspire Professional Learning to all English Language Arts, math, science, social studies, teachers of students who are English language learners, and Exceptional Children teachers who teach students in grades six through eight and principals of schools who enroll students in grades six through eight. Requires DPI to develop a procedure for providing training to half of the teachers referenced in this subsection and all principals referenced in this subsection during the 2025-2026 school year with the remaining teachers and all new teachers teaching the subjects referenced in this subsection receiving training during the 2026-2027 school year; and to develop a procedure for prioritizing participation by referenced teachers, who must be provided stipends for completing the training. Requires the State Board of Education to develop literacy standards for grades six through eight to align with the professional learning delineated here.
   
• Section 7.14, Fiscal Responsibility And K-12 Tech Planning – Requires all public-school units (PSUs) to evaluate long-term costs when buying new technology and to report on the break/fix rate of school technology devices.
   
• Section 7.23, Repeal Coding And Mobile App Development Grant Program – Does as title indicates to eliminate funding for this program.
   
• Section, 7.24, Maintain Coverage Of Copays For Reduced-Price School Meals – Maintains coverage of copays for reduced-priced school meals under the federal National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs and directs DPI to use funds appropriated to the State Aid for Public Schools Fund to cover any shortfall in federal funding for this initiative.
   
• Section 7.25, Charter Schools Review Board  Amendments – Grants additional power to the Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB), including requiring CSRB approval of all rules and policies related to charter schools prior to SBE approval; shifts authority from the state superintendent to the CSRB for establishing standardized procedures around the transfer of local funds from districts to charters; allows the CSRB to require school improvement plans from low-performing or continually low-performing charter schools, and exempting other charter schools from state requirements regarding school improvement plans; requires the Office of the Charter School (OCS) director to report to the CSRB rather than the state superintendent. Parameters for remote charter academies would also shift, with academies enrolling 250 students or more able to receive their own charter on an expedited timeline. Charter schools operating in person and remote academies would receive separate performance grades for each school model.
   
• Section 7.28, Formalize The Diaper Bank Of North Carolina's Role As Provider Of Feminine Hygiene Products For Public Schools – Replaces the previous grant program for this purpose with a directive for DPI to contract with the Diaper Bank of North Carolina to provide feminine hygiene products to all public school units that elect to participate in the program based on their number of female students in grades six through 12.
   
• Section 7.29, Charter School Relocation – Permits charter schools to relocate within a 10-mile radius inside the same local school administrative unit identified in the charter without being considered a material revision of a charter and prior approval of the Charter School Review Board.
   
• Section 7.31, No Alternate Meals Based On Student Pay Status – Prohibits providing alternate school meals to students receiving free or reduced-price lunch or students who have unpaid meal debt.
   
• Section 7.32, CEP Timeline Shift and Breakfast Location – Provides that the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program that provides students with a healthy, cost-free breakfast and lunch can operate where funds are available each year and requires participating schools to make breakfast consumption available in the classroom.
   
• Section 7.33, Student Use Of Wireless Devices – Requires local governing boards to establish a cell-phone-free policy to eliminate or severely restrict student access to cell phones during instructional time, with exceptions for teacher-approved use during instruction, compliance with IEP requirements, or managing student health care.
   
• Section 7.35, Public School Enrollment Stability For Military Students – Permits a student who is not a domiciliary of a local school administrative (LEA) unit but resides with a parent or legal guardian that is on active military duty to register to enroll remotely, under certain conditions, in that LEA’s schools prior to commencement of the student's residency.
   
• Section 7.36, Extended Learning And Integrated Supports Competitive Grant Program – Establishes the program “to fund high-quality, independently validated extended learning and integrated student support service programs for at-risk students that raise standards for student academic outcomes.” Directs DPI to use up to $7 million from the At-Risk Student Services Alternative School Allotment each year to fund the program.
   
• Section 7.37 Teacher Apprenticeship Program – Establishes a Teacher Apprenticeship Program as a competitive grant program to increase the number of professionally licensed teachers in the state; requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to administer the program in collaboration with ApprenticeshipNC at the Community College System; directs the first RFP to be issued by Nov. 1, 2025, with applications to established apprenticeship programs beginning in the 2026-27 school year; and repeals GS 115C-269.32, the Teacher Apprentice Grant Program. The revised program would allow districts participating in the Advanced Teaching Roles program to employ apprentices supervised by a mentor teacher.
   
• Section 7.38, CTE Modernization – Directs DPI to use up to $2.5 million nonrecurring in FY 25-26 and $2 million nonrecurring in FY 26-27 for a grant program for modernization of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming, materials, training, and professional development for courses conducted in grades six through 12.
   
• Section 7.39, K-5 Performing And Visual Arts Requirement – Requires PSUs to provide K-5 students with instruction in music, dance, or theatre and visual arts.
   
• Section 7.40, Early Literacy Program/Dyslexia – Amends the Early Literacy Program in G.S. 115C-83.4B(b) to require dyslexia screening of all children participating in the NC Pre-Kindergarten Program, sharing that information with the child’s kindergarten teacher upon enrollment, and providing training to educators and administrators working with children in the NC Pre-K program to ensure appropriate instruction and intervention strategies are used to support students displaying signs of dyslexia.  
   
• Section 7.41, Modify CTE Grants For Homebuilding Programs – Establishes the CTE Homebuilding Grant Program to provide grants to assist PSUs with curriculum costs associated with CTE programs related to the U.S. Department of Labor approved Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) program developed by the Home Builders Institute. Requires DPI to permit PSU high schools to use the PACT program as an approved curriculum for CTE programs and DPI must prioritize funding to PSUs that (i) are located, in whole or in part, in a county with at least one local school administrative unit that received low-wealth supplemental funding in the previous fiscal year and (ii) that have a high population of at-risk students or students with disabilities. DPI must open the grant program by July 15 each year, and PSUs receiving funding must report by Oct. 15 on data and impacts of the funding received, and then DPI must report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee (JLEOC) by Dec. 15.
   
• Section 7.42, Use Of Local School Administrative Unit Maintained Properties For Public Hearings – Adds new section to Article 7 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes to require governing boards of school districts to allow the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to hold public hearings free of charge, except for custodial and utility fees, in non-school hours in their buildings; also amends G.S. 115C-47 to require LSAU governing boards to adopt a policy permitting the use of their buildings by DEQ for group meetings.
   
• Section 7.43, Residency Licenses For Nonpublic EC Teachers – Makes nonpublic schools, including those that provide services for students with extraordinary costs attributable to providing the special education services on the student's IEP, eligible to request a residency license for their teachers.
   
• Section 7.44, Social Media Literacy In Schools – Requires local boards of education to adopt an internet safety policy and to provide instruction regarding social media and its effects on health.
   

• Section 7.45, Career Development Adjustment – Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create an Annual Career Development Plan Pilot Program (Program) for students entering seventh grade at select schools during the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years and continuing through the students' graduation from high school. The purpose of the Program would be to evaluate the benefits of reviewing student plans annually rather than only in eighth and 10th grade.
   

• Section 7.46, Failure Free Reading – Directs DPI to use $1.2 million nonrecurring to contract with JFL Enterprises, Inc., for a Failure Free Reading Program (Program) to improve middle school literacy, and to report to JLEOC by Sept. 15, 2026, on the number of PSUs that participated in the Program and compare their student outcomes with those in PSUs not participating.
   
• Section 7.47, Study HVAC Solutions For Wake County Public School System Property – Provides funds for DPI to conduct a study to identify advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and chiller solutions for property owned by the Wake County Public Schools System and to generate findings and recommendations for interested stakeholders.
   
• Section 7.48, Interstate Compact For School Psychologists – Creates the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact (Compact) to facilitate the interstate practice of school psychology in educational or school settings. Decreases regulatory burdens to allow participating states to hire school psychologists more easily across state lines. Outlines criteria for states to join and maintain eligibility. Creates a joint government agency made up of all member states that have enacted the Compact, known as the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact Commission.
   
• Section 7.49, Increase To EC Funding Cap – Increases the state funding cap to 13.25% for children with disabilities and provides an additional $10.6 million recurring for this purpose.
   
• Section 7.50, Class Size Exemptions For Growing Counties – Permits PSUs to allow growing school districts to exceed K-3 class size requirements by three students. Growing districts are defined by an increase in student population of one-half percent (0.5%) of the average daily membership (ADM) of the local school administrative unit for two consecutive years. High performing schools (A or B on their school performance grade) would be permitted a waiver for two more kids per class in K-3 in these growing school districts. Schools are also permitted consecutive year waivers if they experience an unexpected increase in student populations over two percent (2%) of the school ADM.
   
• Section 7.51, After School Robotics Grant Program – Provides funds for the after-school robotics grant program, which allows schools to apply for funds to develop competitive after-school robotics programs with a robotics partner.
   
• Section 7.52, Funds For All Pro Dad – Provides a directed grant to Family First, Inc. to expand its All Pro Dad program to promote fatherhood and strengthening family bonds through resources, support, and events.
   
• Section 7.53, Responsible Fatherhood North Carolina Act – Provides funds for DPI to contract with a nonprofit organization to develop and implement a program related to the promotion of fatherhood, including managing a grant program for community-based nonprofit organizations that address the needs of fathers or provide parenting education for fathers.
   
• Section 7.54, Competitive Speech And Debate Grant Pilot – Establishes the Competitive Speech and Debate Team Grant Pilot Program (Program) to allow each public school serving students in grades 9-12 to form a speech and debate team that can participate in speech and debate competitions. The Program would begin in the 2025-2026 school year and conclude at the end of the 2028-2029 school year.
   
• Section 7.55, Northeast Regional School Of Biotechnology And Agriscience – Establishes the Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience (NRSBA) as a school of choice in the northeastern region of the State. The NRSBA may partner with other education partners, including local boards of education, institutions of higher education, private businesses or organizations, and foster, encourage, and promote the development of knowledge and skills in career clusters of importance to the region.The NRSBA is permitted to operate as a public-school unit with a board of directors as the governing body.
   
• Section 7.56, High-Intensity Tutoring Program – Requires Union County Public Schools (UCPS), with assistance from the DPI, to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on Union County Public Schools' high-intensity tutoring program by April 1, 2026. Provides funds to UCPS to continue its high intensity tutoring program.
   
• Section 7.57, Diabetes Education For Parents – Requires PSUs to ensure that each school provides parents and legal guardians with information about type 1 and type 2 diabetes at the beginning of every school year.
   
• Section 7.58, Medical Condition Action Plans – Directs PSUs to implement medical condition action plans adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(50) for each student at risk of a medical emergency as diagnosed by a doctor.
   

• Section 7.59, North Carolina Student Lifeline Information – Directs local boards of education to adopt a policy ensuring all schools in the local school administrative unit provide students with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number and the NC Peer Warmline.
   

• Section 7.60, DPI To Continue Providing Financial Data Reporting Platform To Charters For Initial Year Of Operation – Requires DPI to provide a charter school access to any required financial data reporting platforms during the charter school's first year of operation at no cost to the charter school.
   
• Section 7.61, Schools For The Deaf And Blind Amendments – Effective December 1, 2025, the Governor Morehead Preschool (GMP) and the Early Learning Sensory Program for Vision (ELSPV) are transferred from DPI to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind (GMSB). Effective December 1, 2025, the Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Hearing (ELSSPH) is transferred from DPI to North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD) and the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf (ENCSD). Upon transfer, the NCSD and the ENCSD shall agree on a geographical boundary to divide the administrative responsibility for the ELSSPH between the two schools. Revises a requirement that, unless otherwise required by the board of trustees, the superintendent shall not be required to reside in the county in which the residential school is located.
   
• Section 7.62, Repeal Economically Disadvantaged Public Schools Support Program And Establish Economically Disadvantaged Charter Schools Support Program – Repeals the Economically Disadvantaged Public Schools Support Program and establishes the Economically Disadvantaged Charter Schools Support Program. The General Assembly intends that funds provided pursuant to this section will supplement and not supplant local funds. Fifteen public charters that currently meet the criteria would split the allocation of $4 million.
   
• Section 7.63, Require Local Boards Of Education To Publish Total Compensation And Position Information For Central Office Employees – Requires local school boards to publish pay and position information for central office employees.
   
• Section 7.64, Workforce Report for Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists – Directs that no later than February 15 of each year, every local board of education shall report the following information to DPI regarding therapists in the unit, disaggregated by type of therapist: 1) Number of employees; 2) Number of employees of a third-party contractor; and (3) Number of vacant positions. Also requires DPI to submit a statewide report on the collected information to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than April 15 each year.
   
• Section 7.65, IDs For Students With IEPS – Directs each local education agency to include in the transition plan for students with IEPs a plan for guiding and assisting the student in obtaining a North Carolina identification card issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles.
   
• Section 7.66, School Planning Section Data Sharing Platform – Provides DPI $500,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the School Planning Section to contract with a third-party entity to maintain a digital platform to facilitate data sharing among local school administrative units and county governments regarding products and services purchased for elementary and secondary education.
   
• Section 7.67, Expand K-6 License To Include Grades 7 And 8 – Directs the State Board of Education to adopt rules expanding K-6 elementary licenses to include teachers of grades seven and eight.
   
• Section 8.4, Repeal Future Teachers Of North Carolina Program – Does as title indicates to eliminate funding for this program.
   
• Sec. 8.6, Laboratory Schools – Establishes standards for agreements between the University Of North Carolina System schools and Local School Administrative Units for the operation and maintenance of laboratory schools.
   
• Sec. 8.7, Broaden Teaching Fellows Award Parameters – Adds STEM, CTE, Middle Grades Language Arts, and English (9-12) – along with the existing authority for special education – that are eligible licensure areas for Teaching Fellows Awards; defines eligible special education teachers as those who spend at least 80% of his or her work time on activities related to special education; increases the awards maximum to $10,000 per year; and changes parameters for the forgivable loans to provide that special education teachers who remain as qualifying teachers for six months shall receive one year of loan forgiveness plus any interest accrued on that amount, while all others receive one year of forgiveness for one year as a qualifying teacher.
   
• Section 8.13, Office of Learning Research – Establishes the Office of Learning Research (OLR) to identify and evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of programs, activities, initiatives, procedures, and any other factors related to elementary and secondary education in the state. The OLR shall be housed within the North Carolina Collaboratory, and funding shall be administered by the Collaboratory pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 116-255 (c).
   
• Section 8.25, Collaboratory OLR Math Initiative – The Office of Learning Research (OLR) is directed to develop a series of pilot initiatives using various mathematics support programs for all grade levels and compare results gathered from the initiatives, including existing high-intensity tutoring programs operating in the state, to evaluate the efficacy of the various initiatives and programs.
   
• Section 8.26, OLR To Study 9-12 Literacy Professional Development – The Office of Learning Research (OLR) is directed to evaluate providers of literacy professional development for teachers and provide recommendations for any that align with existing literacy standards of the state to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 15, 2026.
   
• Section 8.27, School Business Modernization Study – The North Carolina Collaboratory is directed to study and determine the feasibility of having all public-school units universally implement the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform. The ERP platform must interface with the Uniform Education Reporting System and integrate finance, human resources, and payroll functions. The Collaboratory must report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division no later than Nov. 1, 2026.
   
• Section 8.30, Authorize The North Carolina Collaboratory To Study The Inclusion Of The Classic Learning Test Considered For Undergraduate Admission And The Award Of Scholarships At Constituent Institutions Of The University Of North Carolina – Does as title indicates, and requires that in conducting this study, the Collaboratory shall seek input from The University of North Carolina and the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.
   
• Sec. 8A.2, Opportunity Scholarship Domicile – Revises certain Opportunity Scholarship domicile verification requirements.
   
• Section 14.10, Funds for Inclusive Playgrounds – Appropriates $100,000 in FY 25-26 through the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to provide grants to local governmental units, public school units, or public authorities for construction of special facilities or adaptation of existing facilities that meet the unique needs of persons with disabilities or that enable them to participate in recreational and sporting activities. Grants shall not exceed five thousand dollars, and the local governmental unit, public school unit, or public authority receiving a grant must provide matching funds in the amount of one dollar of local funds for every five dollars of State funds.
   
• Sec. 20.5, Extend Reversion Date Of School Safety Funds – Requires that funds appropriated for school safety grants for the 2023-25 biennium not revert until June 30, 2027.
   
• Sec. 20.7, School Safety Grants – Expands the scope of training as an eligible purpose for School Safety Grants that are overseen by the Center for Safer Schools under the State Bureau of Investigation and provides $50 million in nonrecurring grant funds for 2025-26 that can be used for supporting students in crisis, school safety training, and the purchase of safety equipment.
   
• Section 44.2, Institute Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday - Reinstates a back-to-school sales tax holiday in August 2026. The tax-free weekend would enable people to purchase school supplies, clothing, and other essential items like computers and athletic gear without paying sales taxes.