In a series of recent reports, North Carolina has been starkly highlighted for its underfunding in public education, ranking 48th for teacher salaries and 50th in overall funding compared to other states. According to WCNC, the state has only invested 2% of its GDP into education, placing it last in effort amongst states to fund state public schools. The report also revealed that North Carolina spends approximately $12,193 per student, whereas states like Vermont invest nearly triple that amount.
Additionally, the EducationNC article uncovered that teacher salaries in North Carolina have declined by 20.6% from 2002 to 2022, the highest drop in the nation, with a more recent decrease of 9.6% from 2020 to 2022. While North Carolina's funding per student has seen an 8.7% growth from 2020 to 2023, ranking it 17th in the nation, this growth was primarily fueled by federal pandemic relief, which is no longer available.
Looking deeper into the distribution of those limited educational funds, North Carolina seems to fare somewhat better, having received a C grade for funding distribution from the Education Law Center. This indicates a more equitable allocation of funds across districts with varying poverty levels, despite ranking on the low end of progressive states with about $600 more for high-poverty areas.
"North Carolina's failing grades reflect years of deliberate neglect," Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, told WCNC. The Leandro case, a long-standing lawsuit alleging inadequate educational funding, continues to underscore the financial struggles the state's public schools face, and with no clear resolution or 2025-26 state budget passed yet, the future of funding remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the Reason Foundation noted in their analysis on EducationNC that North Carolina ranks 13th for increased spending on K-12 employee benefits per student, with a 98.9% growth rate since 2002, showcasing where some of the educational dollars are being channeled.
