News
NC charter school law ranks 7th best in nation, report says
North Carolina's charter school law ranks seventh strongest in the nation in the 2026 scorecard from the Center for Education Reform.
News
NC private schools post biggest jump in four decades amid voucher boom
North Carolina private schools added 8,260 students and 67 schools in 2025-26, the largest one-year increase in schools in more than four decades. The leap came in the first school year that universal Opportunity Scholarships were fully funded from the start.
News
NC charter schools hit record enrollment as sector approaches 30 years
Nearly 30 years after North Carolina's first charter schools opened, the sector has hit a record 213 schools and 161,057 students — about 10.5% of public enrollment — with improving school grades and growth.
News
Education leaders highlight open enrollment for NC public schools
North Carolina ranks last in the United States for public school open enrollment despite majority support in recent polling. This week, several educators and John Locke Foundation staff presented in downtown Raleigh on open enrollment initiatives in the state. Open enrollment is a school choice policy that allows families to apply for their students to...
News
NC charter review board questions need for accelerated applications
North Carolina's Charter Schools Review Board is questioning whether to eliminate its accelerated charter approval pathway after three schools fast-tracked last fall are struggling with enrollment and facility issues ahead of their planned 2026 opening.
Opinion
New NC schools data shows success sequence at work
The success sequence is regularly taught in many NC charter and private schools, but not in public schools, a gap that needs to be closed. Students from generational poverty often aren’t shown the path out.
News
Poll: NC residents oppose tax hikes to fund public schools
A new Catawba College–YouGov poll finds that North Carolina residents broadly oppose raising taxes to fund public schools, with no partisan group, including Democrats, reaching majority support. The survey also shows strong opposition to federal control of elections and a sharp partisan divide over ICE activity in the state.
News
NC public education funding rises, enrollment declines
A comparison of data shows that state funding for public education is increasing, leading to a substantial rise in per-pupil spending, even as student enrollment declines.
News
Willingham falls prey to challenge from the left in closely watched primary
NC Rep. Shelly Willingham has lost his primary reelection bid to challenger Patricia Smith, who secured 56% of the vote compared to Willingham’s 44%. Willingham, a Democrat representing Edgecombe, had developed a reputation as a political maverick who frequently sided with Republicans on controversial legislation.
January 2026 — North Carolinians want to choose their public school
RALEIGH — This week marks the 16th annual National School Choice Week. Every year, in recognition of National School Choice Week, the Carolina Journal Poll surveys likely North Carolina voters on matters of education. In this year’s poll, voters continued to show strong support for school choice programs, such as open enrollment, the Opportunity Scholarship...
News
NC ranks 4th in national charter school growth
NC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing states for public charter school enrollment, even as traditional district schools face stable or slightly declining student populations.
Opinion
Let parents choose their public schools
Having expanded its Opportunity Scholarship program and strengthened its charter-school laws, North Carolina got a solid “B” in the latest American Legislative Exchange Council ranking of educational freedom. About a quarter of our students attend chartered public schools, private schools, or home schools. So, why weren’t we one of the eight states earning “A” grades?...
