Gov. Pat McCrory boiled down his strategic plan for North Carolina to three points: focus on the state’s economy, education systems and government efficiency. 

During the State of the State speech Monday night, McCrory, a Republican, said after six weeks of being in office, he and his cabinet have identified ways to streamline government, revamp the state’s economy and partner educational programs with corresponding industries.

Monday not only marked the governor’s biennial speech, but the governor also signed his first bill into law as governor. Bipartisan Senate Bill 14, which McCrory referenced in his education segment of his speech, will create vocational and college-bound tracks in North Carolina high schools. McCrory also said he wants to see more partnership between education and industry.

“We need to teach [students] both the knowledge and the skills that will help them lead productive lives and find jobs,” McCrory said in his speech. “[And my education] budget will promote this process on all levels,” which extend from pre-K to college educations.

The governor referenced North Carolina as a historical leader in education, but said the state must not be satisfied with the status quo — or with current grade reports. 

North Carolina schools lose 14,000 dropout students annually, he said, and 30 percent of all students cannot read at grade level.

“It’s a sobering assessment … and we need to remain competitive, not just in the United States but also around the world,” McCrory said.

McCrory raised concerns about binge drinking and recreational drug use among college students, saying he wants to collaborate with university leaders to restore order and family values.

“There must be enforcement in our schools and our universities and enforcement of their policies and our laws,” McCrory said. “In addition, we need to help these students who are doing harm to themselves and our families. This is not about ‘going through a time of their life,’ and we must offer help, both through enforcement and counseling.”

 The governor spoke to a mostly Republican audience — the party controls two-thirds of the General Assembly’s 170 seats — and his fiscally conservative points on taxation and budgeting earned sustained applauses throughout the 45-minute speech. The governor vowed limit borrowing from Washington, to get rid of the state’s $2.5 billion debt and to pass legislation that will stop “over-taxing” small businesses. Additionally, he stressed that the state needs to improve infrastructure — transportation, energy, communications and water — to help sustain potential industrial growth.

Despite years of lobbying from environmentalist organizations like Environment North Carolina, McCrory announced he met with governors from South Carolina and Virginia to request federal authority to begin offshore oil and gas exploration.