NC Senate advances Guilford County sales tax referendum for teacher pay

A quarter-cent at the cash register could soon be tied to bigger paychecks for Guilford County teachers. The North Carolina Senate advanced House Bill 305, a measure that would let county voters decide whether to add the tax on the November 2026 ballot and direct the money to classroom teacher salary supplements, fire protection equipment and services, Guilford Technical Community College and a small amount for municipalities.

Local leaders say the referendum could generate about $25 million a year. Supporters have framed it as a workforce move as much as a school funding plan, arguing that Guilford County has fallen behind nearby districts and needs a stronger tool to recruit and keep educators in classrooms.

That pay gap has become the centerpiece of the debate. After voters rejected a similar sales tax proposal in 2024, Guilford County Schools said teacher supplements were 35% lower than those in neighboring districts of a similar size. In 2025, the district asked county commissioners for $10 million to raise teacher pay and $6.8 million for classified staff salaries, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians. The version that cleared the Senate is narrower, focusing on teacher supplements and other named public purposes instead of the broader county staffing pitch that had circulated earlier.

The proposal has been before Guilford County voters before. Residents first saw a similar sales tax plan in 2009, and it resurfaced several times after that, including in 2024, but it failed each time. Supporters have tried to recast the tax as a small checkout cost with a larger payoff, roughly a nickel on a $20 purchase, while skeptics on the school board said another tax burden would fall on residents already feeling financial pressure.

Guilford County commissioners voted unanimously on June 18, 2025, to place the referendum on the November 2026 ballot. Commission Chair Skip Alston has said the county needs another way to raise money for schools, while Commissioner Pat Tillman has argued the tax could help attract and retain talent and strengthen the local economy. The bill now moves to the North Carolina House of Representatives, where lawmakers will decide whether Guilford County voters get the final say.