September 6, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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Public School Performance Improves,

Private School Performance Unknown

Public school performance data were presented to the State Board of
Education during their September meeting this week and provided many
reasons to celebrate.
* The four-year cohort graduation rate increased from 87.0% to 87.7% This
shows good movement toward DPI and the State Board’s strategic plan goal of
92% graduation rate by 2030.
* The percentage of students proficient in reading and math reached their
highest level in three years in 12 of 15 tests. Only Grade 3 reading,
English II and NC Math 1 did not achieve their highest level.
* ALL end-of-grade math tests had their highest levels in three years in
the percentage of students achieving grade-level proficiency.
* The combined results for all grades and subjects (composite score) for
all race/ethnicity groups also reached their highest level in three years.
* The ACT composite score for 11th graders was up slightly from last
year, reading 18.2 and moving toward the state goal of 20 by 2030.
* 35% of English Learners progressed through and exited English Learner
status, up from 27% last year.
* 71% of all schools either met or exceeded growth expectations. This
metric is used as 20% of a school's school performance grade. Test scores
make up 80% of a school’s grade.
* School performance grades follow a fairly even bell curve with 8% of
the state’s public schools receiving an A, 21% B, 40% C, 26% D and 5% an F.

However, there is much room for improvement as scores in most
grades/subjects still fall short of pre-pandemic levels. Statewide, only
grade 4 reading and math have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, though many
others are close. These gains come as federal pandemic relief has dried up
and state funding in NC (cost-adjusted) lags behind all states except AZ,
UT, and ID.

Hurricane Helene added additional challenges for western counties that lost
multiple weeks of school due to the devastation caused by Helene. Yancey
County lost 34 days and saw an 8.7 percentage point drop in composite score
(all grades and tests) proficiency from 60.8% to 52.1%. Avery, Madison, and
Mitchell Counties all saw drops of 5 to 7.6 points in composite score
proficiency.

Despite these and other challenges, across the state our educators and
students are performing well above what people have the right to expect
given the lack of (or paltry) pay increases over recent years and the
steady stream of legislation that increases educators’ workload (e.g.,
posting lesson plans, book lists online) while reducing academic freedom.

Private schools, on the other hand, operate with NO public
scrutiny. Although private schools that receive state-funded tuition
payments are required to administer tests to students in grades 3 and
above, each school is allowed to select its preferred test and the results
are not made public (see our [7]fact sheet).

Graduation rates, curriculum standards, staff qualifications, school
policies including admissions and discipline policies, school finances and
other important data on private schools are not required to be disclosed to
the public.

Consequently, taxpayers have no meaningful data on student performance with
which to evaluate whether the hundreds of millions each year spent on
private school vouchers have improved student achievement.

Taxpayers enjoy tremendous public school transparency regarding student
academic achievement, graduation rates, post-secondary preparedness, school
finances, instructional materials, and more. Taxpayers deserve the same
level of transparency of private schools being funded with public dollars.

Read more about public school performance around the state.

[8]NC test scores are up, but not to pre-pandemic levels. Is that the new
baseline?

[9]NC schools test scores rise again, make near post-pandemic recovery in
math

[10]Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools touts ‘historic’ gains in school
performance

[11]Forsyth students up state test scores. 7 schools off low-performing
list, including Parkland High

[12]Guilford County schools make gains in testing, graduation rate

[13]2025 report card: Pender cuts low-performing schools in half, NCHC,
Brunswick see increases

How State Funds Are Helping Private Schools Expand

The NCGA has been funding capital projects to aid private school expansion
despite a clear requirement in the NC Constitution that taxpayer funds must
be used for “public purposes only” according to a recent article in [14]The
Assembly.

Grace Christian School in Sanford benefitted from a $5 million allocation
(in the 2023-25 state budget) to the city to extend a sewer line to the
school and nearby fire department. The school lobbied for the expansion to
help its planned $98 million expansion. Grace Christian has received
[15]more than $13.1 million in state-funded tuition payments through the
Opportunity Scholarship voucher program, including over $5.1 million in
2024-25 alone.

The 2023-25 budget bill also gave $100,000 for Carolina Christian Academy
in Thomasville to remodel its preschool and $375,000 to School of Hope in
Fayetteville to buy a parcel of land for expansion. Carolina Christian
Academy has already received over $2 million in tuition payments from the
state ($843,510 in 2024-25) and School of Hope has received nearly $1
million since the program started ($344,466 in 2024-25).

State funding for private school capital needs comes at the cost of funding
public schools.

“Our schools are facing urgent needs from crumbling buildings, failing HVAC
systems, and classrooms stretched to the breaking point. Yet instead of
meeting these responsibilities, public dollars are being siphoned off to
build private school infrastructure.”

Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of
Educators (The Assembly)

Private school supporters continue to ramp up efforts to tap into state
funds. Because available voucher funds exceeded demand, in the 2021-23
state budget, lawmakers allocated $500,000 to promote vouchers and help
families apply (doubled to $1 million in the 2023-25 budget). Parents for
Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC) received the contract.

Yet voucher funding this year (2025-26) still exceeds demand; applications
are being accepted through September due to available funds.

Instead of redirecting the excess funds to public schools where it is
sorely needed, private school supporters aim to [16]increase private school
enrollments. Just this week, PEFNC [17]launched Edbuilder to “help
edupreneurs overcome barriers to starting and expanding private schools in
North Carolina.”

Edbuilder’s executive director—Renee Griffith—is the founder and current
Executive Director of [18]Cornerstone Christian Academy in Statesville. The
school has received more than $5.4 million in voucher funds over the years
and $1.4 million in 2024-25 alone. Cornerstone Christian Academy is an
extension of [19]Cornerstone Christian Church and is clear about its
exclusionary admissions policies: “However, as a religious institution CCA
reserves the right to deny admission or to terminate the enrollment of
persons whose lifestyle, words, actions, or otherwise do not align with
CCA’s statement of faith, code of conduct, or other policies of this
organization." ([20]Student Handbook)

Using taxpayer funds to promote the growth of private schools and
subsidizing tuition for the families who attend seems to be a clear
violation of our state constitution.

On September 22 when the state legislature gets back to the business of
developing a state budget for the next two years, we hope our elected
leaders will focus on funding public schools that are open and transparent
to the public.

[21]Contact your lawmakers!

Legislative and SBE Updates

There was no new legislative action this week. Lawmakers are scheduled to
return on September 22. Keep an eye on the [22]legislative calendar for
updates.

The Charter School Review Board meets on September 8 and 9. You can find
the [23]agenda here. The meeting will be [24]live streamed.

Governor Stein Issued an [25]Executive Order on AI that establishes an AI
Leadership Council. "AI has the potential to transform how we work and
live, carrying with it both extraordinary opportunities and risks, " said
Governor Josh Stein.

Making NC Public Schools the Best:

Revere Public School Educators

Pillar 2 of [26]Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025-2030 Strategic Plan
for North Carolina Public Schools is Revere Public School Educators.

North Carolina’s public school professionals are the single most important
in-school factor influencing student learning. Yet today, they are not
compensated adequately, and too often, their working conditions fail to
reflect the deep respect they deserve. Reversing this trend is not just a
moral imperative — it is essential to the future of our students and our
state.

Pillar 2 includes eight specific measures of success such as the three
shown here:
* Establish a baseline and increase the proportion of students completing
teaching recruitment programs including “Teaching as a Profession CTE
pathways and who pursue teacher preparation after graduation.
* Establish a baseline and increase the number of public school units
(traditional public + charter schools) implementing Advanced Teaching Roles
as well as the number of teachers serving in advanced roles that support
peer learning.
* Increase North Carolina’s starting teacher pay, including local
supplements, so that it is the highest in the Southeast.

To achieve these goals, the plan identities actions grouped into four focus
areas:
1. Improve educator recruitment and retention
2. Expand career pathways for education professionals
3. Increase educator compensation
4. Elevate and restore pride in the education profession

Each focus area includes several actions and target completion dates.
Improve educator recruitment and retention has four.
* Expand student recruitment programs starting no later than middle
school, such as career academy programs, “Teaching as a Profession” CTE
pathways and other programs to encourage more students to engage in the
education profession. (July 2026)
* Revise and strengthen Beginning Teacher (BT) policy and supports,
including exploring a standard statewide definition of BTs and regionalized
support approaches with partners. (July 2026)
* Develop, adopt and promote statewide standards for high-quality
professional learning to serve as guidance for the design and evaluation of
professional learning opportunities, including microcredentials. (August
2026)
* Advocate for expanding the teacher pipeline and lowering financial
barriers to entering the profession, in partnership with EPPs.

The [27]NCDPI website has more information about the plan including dates
and locations of the eight regional sessions Superintendent Green is
holding to share the plan with the public.

Upcoming Webinar with Superintendent Mo Green!

Wednesday, September 17 -- 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Join NC PTA and Public Schools First NC for a conversation with Mo Green,
NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, about the new strategic plan:
Achieving Educational Excellence developed by the NC Dept. of Public
Instruction and the State Board of Education. This five-year plan aims to
position NC's public schools as the best in the US by 2030. Superintendent
Green will discuss details of this exciting plan and the next steps.

[28]REGISTER HERE

What is Leandro? Does it Still Matter? Join Us for a Special Webinar with
NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls

Thursday, September 11 -- 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Join us for a discussion with Associate Justice Earls about the history and
current status of the 1994 lawsuit (Leandro v. State of North Carolina).
This lawsuit was filed by parents and school districts in low-wealth
counties, alleging that their students were denied their constitutional
right to a sound basic education. In 1997, the NC Supreme Court affirmed
that this right to a sound basic education is guaranteed by the state
constitution, but also found the state had failed to meet this obligation,
particularly for at-risk students.

Associate Justice Earls will explain what has happened since 1997 and the
current status of the case. Time will be allowed for Q&A. Please note:
Justice Earls can discuss the status of the case and identify the rulings
that have already been issued. She will not comment on the pending case.

[29]REGISTER HERE

In Case You Missed It

[30]"NC Educators on the Ballot" urges teachers to run for the state
legislature

[31]NC Supreme Court: Do the right thing for NC children

[32]Kids Shouldn't Access Social Media Until They're Old Enough to Drive,
Book Says

[33]Selling New Orleans

[34]The Hidden Cost of Idaho's School Voucher Scheme

Let's Keep Our Youngest Children in School!

Did you know that the use of out of school suspensions continues to fuel
educational disparities in schools across the state, even with students as
young as pre-K through 3rd grade?

A coalition of statewide partners is advocating for district-by-district
campaigns to end the use of exclusionary practices (out of school
suspensions) with our youngest learners in grades pre-K through 3rd grade.
These campaigns have been effective in multiple districts across North
Carolina, and we believe that we can advance policies statewide that
further support equitable outcomes, promote school safety, and focus on
keeping our children learning and in school.

We invite you to join us on Thursday, September 18th at 6:30 PM for a
virtual meeting to discuss the campaign, hear testimonies from those who
have been most impacted by exclusionary practices, and determine if you
believe that your local community is ready to organize on behalf of our
future leaders.

[35]Register here to receive a link for the meeting. 

September is Suicide Awareness Month

September is Suicide Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, spread
hope, and spark meaningful action around one of the most urgent mental
health issues of our time.

The [36]National Alliance on Mental Illness has created a toolkit to help
educators and others start conversations that make a difference.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or
text 988 immediately.

You can also chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org

More resources from NAMI:
* [37]Know the warning Signs and Risk Factors of Suicide
* [38]Being Prepared for a Crisis
* [39]Navigating a Mental Health Crisis
* [40]What You Need to Know about Youth Suicide

Help us support public schools!

Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit
focused solely

on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents,
teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina
to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each
child for productive citizenship.

[41]DONATE HERE

[42]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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