Demanding better for our public schools
I initially wrote a comprehensive look at the challenges facing our North Carolina public schools back in March, based on a very in-depth article published by the NC Justice Center, hoping to bring some of those statistics to Raleigh to our legislators, to hopefully open their eyes and hearts to the problems facing North Carolinians, one of which is lack of funding of our public schools. I encourage you to become familiar with the NC Justice Center; it is a wealth of information with an incredible mission of bettering the lives of low income and systemically oppressed people in North Carolina. They are doing such great work; it needs to be shared far and wide! Check them out at https://www.ncjustice.org/
Below are what I feel are the most important takeaways from their publication on declining enrollment. I do hope you’ll take the time to read the article in its entirety, if that is of interest to you, since it covers so much more than I am highlighting here.
NCJC ED LAW publication, Navigating Declining Enrollment: How smarter state policies can help schools thrive, published 02 September 2025, outlines the significant issue of declining enrollment in our public schools and the unique challenges it is imposing on school districts across the state. They state, “Declining enrollment will never be easy to navigate. However, many of the challenges we are facing are the result of deliberate policy choices. With better investments and policies, we can help reverse these trends, or at the very least, minimize their negative impacts on students.” Schools state-wide have been facing the challenges of declining enrollment for almost a decade. Low-wealth, rural communities are being hit hardest by declining enrollment. Not surprisingly, these are the very same communities that have had the most school closures since 2011, with the repercussions that result.
State leaders introduced the “A-F school performance grades (SPGs)” campaign during the 2013-2014 school year, and intentionally or not, SPGs stigmatize the very same schools being hit the hardest by declining enrollment and have deleterious effects on students of color and students from families with low incomes. These are also the very same schools scoring low on the performance metrics, unable to show growth. Of note, student mental health and academic performance are the leading reasons for families leaving the public schools, both of which could be addressed with proper funding and investment in support staff such as school psychologists, counselors, and social workers to meet recommended staffing levels. Ironically, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, North Carolina began providing students qualifying for the federal free or reduced lunch program with vouchers to attend private schools.
In the most recent year, enrollment declined in 70 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, and in 53 counties declining enrollment is attributed to the expansion of school choice policies and vouchers. In 2023, the General Assembly opened the eligibility of the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program to high-wealth families already enrolled in private schools, causing a cascade of ripple effects with deleterious consequences on districts state-wide.
While researching funding facts on education, I stumbled across Making the Grade 2025 available from the Education Law Center (ELC), and discovered that North Carolina received both an “F” in funding level and funding effort, indicating that state lawmakers “are not leveraging their economic capacity to better fund public schools and raising their effort to be more in line with the national average would significantly raise funding levels.” The following are some highlights of the ELC analysis based on 2023 U.S. Census data.
Funding Level (cost adjusted per-pupil revenue from state and local sources): North Carolina ranked 50th (out of 51; Washington DC included) with $12,193 spent on education, $5,660 below the National Average.
Funding Distribution (the extent to which additional funds are distributed to school districts with high levels of student poverty): North Carolina ranked 17th out of 48, earning the grade of “C” which receives the designation of progressive, with high-poverty districts receiving 5% or $612 more than low-poverty districts.
Funding Effort (funding allocated to support PK-12 public education as a percentage of the state’s economic activity (GDP)): North Carolina ranked 50th ($58,639 GDP per capita; $12,193 funding per pupil), indicating the state makes far less than average effort to fund its schools.
I hope these statistics alarm you as much as they did me. My last blog post was on how to stand up for public schools, and in this one I hope you see why it matters we get involved. I care deeply about public schools because my children attend public schools, and I deeply believe that every child deserves a good education. Our county, Scotland County, falls in the “low-wealth, rural communities” category that NCJC describes as being hit the hardest by declining enrollment and our schools depend on federal and state funding. Without proper funding, our kids suffer, our educators suffer, our schools suffer, and communities suffer.
In a press conference in December 2025, discussing the delay in NC Supreme Court ruling on the appeal of the 1994 Leandro case, North Carolina Association of Educators President Tamika Walker Kelly said, “It’s very much about that we need the citizens of North Carolina to truly understand what the issues are with public education so that our students and us in our schools can be fully funded.”
The appeal of the Leandro case was finally ruled on by the NC Supreme Court on April 2, 2026. In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs and dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning this is the final decision on the matter and plaintiffs cannot further pursue their claims. I especially liked Governor Stein’s statement, “Today’s news doesn’t change our state’s fundamental responsibility to its students. That’s why I continue to advocate for a real pay raise for every teacher, more support personnel in our schools, free school breakfast for all students, and proven investments in student outcomes like the Science of Reading and Advanced Teaching Roles. Our children are our future, and it’s long past time we invest in them.” You can read his whole response at: https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/04/02/governor-stein-responds-nc-supreme-courts-leandro-decision
From State Court Report regarding the ruling: “Students should expect that courts will not enforce the North Carolina Constitution’s right to a sound basic education for the foreseeable future. However, all hope is not lost. In fact, the decision presents those passionate about public education with new opportunities to improve the system and claim a role in constitutional rights enforcement.” https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/north-carolina-supreme-court-throws-out-decades-old-right-education-case
I too am hopeful.
Educate yourself on the important issues facing North Carolinians and choose lawmakers that want to make our state better, that truly want to make a difference and are about taking action now. The future of our state and our country is our children. Tomorrow is voting day, make your vote count.
Until next time,
Love, Dr. Amanda
Comments