“North Carolina’s failing grades reflect years of deliberate neglect. Lawmakers have refused to fully fund our public schools, denied educators meaningful raises, and the Supreme Court has allowed Leandro to languish. Our children cannot afford this continued failure of leadership,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, President of the NC Association of Educators.
Jackson’s office warned that losing the funding would force schools to shut down programs and could lead to layoffs in the middle of the school year. “Our kids deserve better,” Jackson said in a statement. “A surprise cut of nearly $50 million from rural schools, with virtually no notice and no allegation of misuse, is unlawful and harmful.”
After State Auditor Dave Boliek switched every county board of elections to a Republican majority, some of those county boards are now suggesting rolling back voting sites near and on North Carolina college campuses.
With the end of 2025 coming in a few weeks, North Carolina will enter into the new year without a comprehensive state budget and without a ruling on the state’s landmark school funding case.
When I was teaching from 2011 to 2017, social studies was my favorite subject—not just for the maps and timelines, but for what they revealed about how power moves. The classes explained who makes decisions, who carries their cost, and how geography and governance collide.
Two-thirds of all government funding for children comes from the state, leaving the state government with a hefty role when it comes to supporting youth and families.
The Trump administration cut $12.5 million from a program that helped public school children eat and supported local farmers.
A long-standing initiative led by UNC-Chapel Hill to strengthen early childhood education across North Carolina is facing an uncertain future after losing federal support. The US Department of Education has recently written a notice to UNC-Chapel Hill, cancelling the federal grant that funds the university’s impactful SCRIPT-NC program.
When students return to public schools across North Carolina, they may notice some familiar faces missing. According to the News & Observer, budget cuts and delayed state funding have forced districts to eliminate hundreds of positions, freeze programs, and prepare for the possibility of even deeper federal cuts under the Trump administration.
Amid the back-to-school season, North Carolina teachers are facing significant financial challenges, ranking second in the nation for out-of-pocket spending on classroom essentials. The North Carolina Association of Educators notes that the out-of-pocket spending level is a 22% increase from last year’s average of $1,338.