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Education leaders in 25+ school districts speak out

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Gov. Roy Cooper sits with kindergarten students in Claire Johnson's classroom at Washington Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh. Rupen Fofaria/EducationNC

Bipartisan calls from school boards and public education leaders across the state to invest in public schools

The following is a press release from the office of Gov. Roy Cooper.

Education leaders in more than 25 school districts are speaking out opposing the extreme North Carolina General Assembly legislation that would decimate public schools and calling on legislators to invest in public education. 

“North Carolina’s public schools are in jeopardy due to dangerous Republican legislation that would siphon funds away from the classroom and make our teacher shortage worse,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “As they learn about this, local school board members and superintendents from rural and urban areas are beginning to call on legislators to do the right thing and invest in public schools.”

A growing number of school boards, from both rural and urban counties, have passed resolutions, including:

Several additional school boards, including school boards in Asheville City and Cabarrus County, are considering similar resolutions.

In addition, other public education leaders have also spoken out opposing bills expanding private school vouchers. The nineteen superintendents in the northeast region recently sent a letter to legislators expressing their concerns with the proposed voucher expansion and highlighting the negative impacts the expansion would have on the school districts in their region. The nineteen superintendents oversee:

  • Gates County Schools
  • Perquimans County Schools
  • Bertie County Schools
  • Beaufort County Schools
  • Camden County Schools
  • Currituck County Schools
  • Dare County Schools
  • Edenton-Chowan Schools
  • Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools
  • Halifax County Schools
  • Hertford County Schools
  • Hyde County Schools
  • Martin County Schools
  • Northampton County Schools
  • Pitt County Schools
  • Roanoke Rapids Graded School District
  • Tyrrell County Schools
  • Washington County Schools
  • Weldon City Schools

Dr. Kim Morrison, Superintendent of Mt. Airy City Schools, recently published an op-ed highlighting the great things public schools in Mt. Airy and across the state provide to students and their communities. She also pointed out the danger that the proposed expansion of private school vouchers poses to public schools in her community.

The North Carolina Caucus of Black School Board Members passed a resolution urging community members to contact legislators and ask them to oppose Senate Bill 406 and House Bill 823.

The Republicans’ extreme proposals would dismantle public education by causing public schools to lose hundreds of millions of dollars through the expansion of private school vouchers, exacerbating the state’s teacher shortage and providing no substantive funding for early childhood education and child care.

Expanding voucher eligibility to any K-12 student will force public schools, especially those in rural and poorer counties, to make steep cuts, leaving schools without the resources to hire enough teachers and support students.

In FY 2026-27 alone, public schools across the state would be projected to see a decline in state funding of more than $203 million. That number is expected to increase as the proposed voucher expansion ramps up in later years. The proposed expansion would impact counties across the state differently. In FY 2026-27, 31 counties would see a 3% or greater decline in total state funding with an average of $2.9 million loss in state funding.

Governor Cooper has traveled across the state to visit public schools and highlight the series of sweeping legislation pushed by Republicans that would choke the life out of public education. The Governor has visited schools in New Hanover, Greene, Buncombe, Wake, Mecklenburg and Alamance Counties.

In a special address, Governor Cooper recently outlined sweeping legislation in the NC General Assembly that would choke the life out of public education. The Governor is calling on North Carolinians to visit governor.nc.gov to learn more and contact their legislators to ask them to protect public schools.

Watch the Governor’s address.

Read the Governor’s full remarks.

Learn more about North Carolina’s public education emergency.