Rep. Lofton files bill in North Carolina House to study school budget flexibility

A new bill filed by State Rep. Brandon Lofton in the North Carolina House seeks to explore ways to improve budget flexibility for local schools to better serve students, teachers, and staff, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 785 on April 3 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘School Funding Flexibility Study.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the Department of Public Instruction to study budget flexibility for local school administrative units in North Carolina. The study will explore methods such as combining allotments and transferring funds between different budget categories to determine how increased flexibility could better meet the needs of students, teachers, and staff. The findings, along with any legislative recommendations, must be reported to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division by April 1, 2026. To support this initiative, $50,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The act takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, David Willis proposed the most bills (35) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Lofton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001 with a BA and again in 2004 from New York University School of Law with a JD.

Lofton, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 104th House district, replacing previous state representative Andy Dulin.