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Research | Public School Forum releases 2026 local school finance study

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The Public School Forum of North Carolina’s 2026 Local School Finance Study is now available. Through this study, The Forum has highlighted variations and trends in local spending for public education across our state’s 100 counties for over 30 years. 

The purpose of this annual study is to isolate local spending from state and federal spending to examine the capacity and actual effort of counties to support public schools. The Local School Finance Study focuses not only on the amount that counties spend on schools, but also on each county’s investment in relation to their taxable resources. The data presented in the most recent study are from the 2023-24 school year.

“Our annual finance study consistently shows that the poorest counties in our state tax themselves at greater rates and contribute higher percentages of their local revenue to education than the richest counties in our state,” said Public School Forum Senior Researcher Elizabeth Paul. “This is despite the fact that in North Carolina, the state government has a constitutional obligation to ensure all children, regardless of district wealth, have access to quality education.”

In 2023-24, the ten highest-spending counties spent over four times more per child than the ten lowest-spending counties. Orange County, at the top of the list, spent $456 more per student than the seven lowest spending counties combined. This funding gap isn’t just about dollars; it’s about opportunity. These local investments have a major impact on teacher pay, school facilities, and the programs available to students.

While this study focuses on local investment, according to our state constitution, the post-Depression School Machinery Acts, and other laws, North Carolina holds the responsibility for adequately funding public schools. This distinct legal and historical foundation enables state-level school finance reform to significantly impact every student’s educational opportunities, regardless of their ZIP code.

You can view the full study, including county profiles, on the Forum’s website. 

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