NC Board of Education asks lawmakers for voucher moratorium, $300 million for textbooks
Carolina Journal · Wed, Nov 4, 2026
The North Carolina State Board of Education is again asking lawmakers to pause new Opportunity Scholarship awards and redirect that money to public schools. Its budget request also seeks $300 million a year for reading and math materials, teacher raises and school construction, and a statewide survey puts construction needs at
Live updates: 2026 North Carolina midterm election results
EdNC · Tue, Nov 3, 2026
Tuesday's midterm election results are in, and education was on the ballot. Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper was called the winner of the U.S. Senate race over Republican Michael Whatley. Democrats are set to take control of the N.C. House for the first time since 2011 and have broken the Republican supermajority in the N.C. Senate. Voters also approved three constitutional amendments, including a cap on the state income tax rate at 3.5% and a limit on local property tax increases. Educators and advocates have warned that the property tax limits could strain school budgets. Some races may head to recounts. The General Assembly meets Nov. 16-19 and Nov. 30-Dec. 18 before the new year, when a new legislature is sworn in. These results are unofficial until certified.
Wake schools floats letting homeschool students co-enroll part-time
WRAL.com · Wed, Oct 21, 2026
Wake County school leaders are exploring whether the district's more than 10,000 homeschool students could co-enroll part-time, though no clear proposal exists yet. At a Tuesday work session, board members said they were interested but raised questions about extracurricular activities, electives, magnet programs, transportation and special education services. The board will revisit the topic at its December retreat. In a survey of more than 1,100 families, about 54% said they were likely or extremely likely to use co-enrollment if it were offered. Wake doesn't currently allow it, though districts in Johnston, Cumberland and Moore counties do.
Report: NC donors could give $810M a year under federal school choice credit
Carolina Journal · Wed, Oct 14, 2026
Carolina Journal reports that updated estimates from the American Federation for Children Growth Fund put North Carolina donations under the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit at about $810 million a year, if one in 10 eligible donors takes part. That is up from $573 million in the group's September report, after proposed Treasury rules treated each spouse on a joint return as a separate taxpayer, so a married couple can claim $3,400. Donations can begin Jan. 1, 2027. North Carolina opted in after the General Assembly overrode Gov. Josh Stein's veto of House Bill 87. The State Education Assistance Authority must adopt program rules by the end of January, and it has not yet posted an application process for scholarship groups.
Report: NC ties for last in nation on public school open enrollment
Carolina Journal · Tue, Oct 13, 2026
North Carolina ranks last in the nation on public school open enrollment for the third straight year, according to a Reason Foundation report released Oct. 13. The state earned 0 of 100 possible points and an F. The state has no statewide open enrollment law, so transfer decisions are up to local school boards, and a few districts, including Union County, run their own programs. A General Assembly study will examine transfers within districts only, and its report, with any recommended legislation, is due to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by June 1, 2027. A January Carolina Journal Poll found 79% of likely voters support within-district open enrollment.
Charter Review Board approves new Harnett County school, denies two others, and addresses growth score controversy
EdNC · Thu, Oct 8, 2026
The Charter Schools Review Board gave initial approval to American Leadership Academy – Capeton, a K-8 school in Harnett County slated to open in 2028, and denied applications from Virtual Active Learning Academy of NC and New H.O.P.E. Technology Preparatory Academy. Both denied applicants may appeal to the State Board of Education within 10 days of the decision. The board also discussed concerns from eight charter leaders that a 2025-26 Department of Public Instruction retest policy caused sharp drops in school growth scores, even as achievement rose. DPI has said it does not intend to recalculate those results. Families in Harnett County have shown strong interest, with 1,500 families signing an interest form over the past year.
US Treasury Department issues proposed rules on federal school choice tax credit
EdNC · Thu, Oct 1, 2026
The U.S. Treasury Department and IRS released proposed rules on the federal school choice tax credit, which offers up to
I-Team investigates growth of NC school voucher program
ABC11 Raleigh-Durham · Wed, Sep 30, 2026
ABC11's I-Team is investigating how North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship Program has grown, with more than $589 million in taxpayer funding going through it in the 2025 to 2026 school year. During the most recent school year, more than 106,000 students received scholarships. Changes approved by lawmakers in 2024 removed earlier income and public-school attendance limits. State Rep. Tracy Clark, a Guilford County Democrat, says more transparency and oversight are needed, and she questions scholarships for families who can already afford private school. Staffers from the NC State Education Assistance Authority said the program is currently facing a state audit. Schools receiving funds, such as Wake Christian Academy, say the scholarships help families choose the programs that best fit their children.
NC dad says families pushed out amid trans teacher fight
Fox News · Sat, Aug 22, 2026
Parents at Middle Creek Elementary School in Wake County are asking the district to let their children opt out of a music class taught by a transgender teacher, saying they were not given advance notice and want reasonable alternatives. At a Wake County Board of Education meeting on Aug. 18, 2026, parent Aaron Driver said critics had told families that public school may not be right for them and suggested homeschooling or private school. Another speaker, Katrina Day, proposed a free homeschooling curriculum and said the district could relocate or expel "the children of bigots" if needed. Speakers at the meeting were sharply divided over whether accommodating these families protects parental rights or amounts to discrimination.
North Carolina's first microschool high school opens in Cabarrus County
Spectrum News 1 Charlotte · Wed, Aug 12, 2026
Students in Cabarrus County Schools are starting the school year at the district's first microschool, a small school within a big school, and at North Carolina's first high school-level microschool. The Healthcare Innovation Microschool at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord will focus on artificial intelligence. Students will apply what they learn with healthcare and technology professionals and pitch their own solutions to problems in the field. Program director Kiera Parker said the first group will include about 30 sophomores and 30 freshmen. The microschool is part of the district's Program Choice initiative, which lets students apply to programs such as languages, fine arts, or architecture and construction beyond their local attendance zone. For families across North Carolina, it's a new option for high schoolers who want a more personalized path.
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