North Carolina is receiving backlash from House Bill 2 on a national scale, and according to recent reports, that backlash may spread to education.

As businesses and performers pull out of engagements within the state, school officials, including those in Beaufort County, are now assessing the potential for federal funding cuts if the backlash ensues.

House Bill 2 mandates bathrooms be used based on one’s biological sex at birth, and includes prohibitions of discrimination lawsuits at the state level and municipalities passing their own discrimination or minimum wage ordinances.

Federal-level repercussions would affect North Carolina at all levels of education.

Dr. Barbara Tansey, president of Beaufort County Community College, expressed her concern last week about the possibility of funding cuts, due to the legislature’s refusal to reverse the law.

In a May 6 email, Tansey outlined what BCCC could lose: $339,000 annually in TRIO funds; $76, 749 in basic skills funding; $118,366 in Carl Perkins funds; administrative funds for federal financial aid; administrative funds for veterans’ assistance; and all work study funds. The college’s students would still receive Pell Grants.

“I can’t imagine that it will come to fruition because it would completely destroy public universities and community colleges,” Tansey said. “I think the right thing will eventually be done. … It’s just a shame it ever happened.”

The UNC System, which includes 17 schools, could lose $2.2 billion if federal funds are cut, according to a press release.

Public schools in the state would also take a hit if the funds were withheld, potentially losing $1.4 billion, or 11.5 percent of all state public education spending, the release stated.

About 7 percent of teachers statewide are funded with federal money, as are almost 24 percent of teaching assistants. Thirty-one percent of the state’s federal funds also go toward low-income students as part of the Title I program, according to the release.

Sarah Hodges, public information officer at Beaufort County Schools, said the county would be affected mostly in terms of job positions.

She said about 67 positions would be impacted if federal funding ceased, 64 of which are teachers and teaching assistants. The other three would be positions cut at the Central Services office.

“We’re prayerful it won’t come to that point because it’s hard enough as it is,” Hodges said. “That’s the blunt of it.”

“We are investigating what the impact would be on our system if federal funds were withheld. We know the impact would be far reaching and would touch many areas of our school system operation,” Superintendent Don Phipps said.

Hodges said exceptional children, pre-kindergarten and ESL classes all fall under federal programs, as well.

On Friday, President Barack Obama issued a mandate for public schools to allow transgender students access to bathrooms based on their gender identity — as a condition of federal funds.

Despite the mandate, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory remains firm in the state’s decision to enforce the law.

“Most Americans, including this governor, believe that government is searching for a solution to a problem that has yet to be defined,” McCrory said in a statement. “Now, both the federal courts and the U.S. Congress must intercede to stop this massive executive branch overreach, which clearly oversteps constitutional authority.”

“We are following the law and are waiting for guidance from officials,” Hodges said Friday.

Tansey said BCCC reached out to Beaufort County’s legislators in Raleigh, but did not receive satisfactory answers.

“It really didn’t make a difference because they’re still adamant in their position,” she said. “I think it’s important our legislators know how much we stand to lose.”

Although Tansey said she isn’t nervous at this point, it is still an important issue on which to keep tabs.

“We take a very large hit, and it would be in terms of people,” she said of funding cuts. “If we lost the federal financial aid, we would be done immediately.”