Public School Forum

A think-and-do tank committed to North Carolina public schools

October 17 Policy Updates

As North Carolina celebrates rising graduation rates, the state is also seeing an alarming increase in dropout rates among students with disabilities, landing a federal “needs assistance” rating for the second consecutive year. While state education leaders point to multiple challenges in meeting special education standards, the issue is compounded nationally by significant staff reductions […]

October 10 Policy Updates

Since the General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto of HB 805 this summer passing it into law, teachers across North Carolina have faced a difficult choice: maintain classroom libraries that foster a love of reading but risk public scrutiny, or clear their shelves to avoid controversy. Effective this school year, the new law requires every […]

What NC Students Would Like Local Public Schools to Look Like in 40 Years

40 years ago the Public School Forum of North Carolina was founded out of a critical need to bring together educators, community members, business leaders and policymakers to support our local public schools. In the decades since, the Forum has served as a think-and-do tank, bringing together individuals and organizations to study education issues, develop […]

Donor Spotlight: Tom Williams on Supporting Local Public Schools From the Perspective of a Lifelong Educator

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is honored to feature longtime educator and steadfast advocate Tom Williams in our Donor Spotlight series. From his unexpected move to North Carolina as a young newlywed to a career spanning teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, and nonprofit leader, Tom has spent five decades advancing public education across our […]

Our Students Deserve Certainty

For many, discussions about federal budgets, legislative sessions, or policy shifts can feel far removed from the day-to-day life of a school. But for those of us who have served as educators, we know how quickly those decisions, or a lack thereof, can ripple down into classrooms. Uncertainty in school funding is not a hypothetical […]

October 3 Policy Updates

Budget battles at both the federal and state levels are prolonging uncertainty for North Carolina school districts. The federal shutdown and the lack of a state budget limit districts’ ability to plan, while charter schools see growing support even as traditional public options like magnet schools face funding threats. Government Shutdown Public education is generally […]

September 26 Policy Updates

This week highlighted deep budget uncertainty at both the state and federal levels: the General Assembly approved limited disaster relief for storms Helene and Chantal but failed to advance a state budget, while Congress is on track for a federal government shutdown on October 1. Still No State Budget, Shortfall in Medicaid Funding In a […]

September 19 Policy Updates

The General Assembly is scheduled to return to Raleigh next week with little expectation of passing a state budget. Instead, lawmakers are likely to focus on additional veto overrides while school districts continue to face deep uncertainty over funding. More Veto Overrides, Still No Budget The legislature has spent most of the summer out of […]

2025 Impact Report

The Public School Forum of NC remains an indispensable champion of better public schools and the most trusted source in the state for research and analysis on vital education issues. We engage communities, legislators, business leaders, and educators to inform, build consensus, and drive action to shape education policy that centers on the needs and […]

September 12 Policy Updates

While lawmakers expand costly private-school vouchers that lack oversight and accountability and exclude many students and families, North Carolina continues to rank near the bottom in public school funding, leaving critical questions about the state’s budget priorities as a new school year begins. New Report on Private School VouchersThe Public School Forum of North Carolina […]

September 5 Policy Updates

This week in Washington, D.C., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies released its Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bill, which, if passed, would have significant consequences for North Carolina. More Federal Cuts Proposed This week, a House subcommittee endorsed many –though not all– of President Trump’s proposed Department […]

Why Medicaid and SNAP Cuts Put School Leaders in an Impossible Position

Growing up, there was a period when my family relied on food stamps to survive. At the time I admittedly felt some embarrassment about that fact, yet I found a way to use the foundation provided by that public assistance to achieve several important goals in life. Recently, I learned that my story is similar […]

August 29 Policy Updates

The General Assembly has yet to pass a state budget, leaving school districts to navigate funding gaps and uncertainty as the new year begins. Families feel these pressures directly, even as school choice advocates promote private options.  Efforts to Override Governor Stein’s Vetoes, and No Budget Vote on the Agenda The General Assembly briefly returned […]

Public School Forum of North Carolina Releases Report on Private School Accessibility Following the Expansion of Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers

RALEIGH, NC (August 20, 2025) – The Public School Forum of North Carolina has released a report exploring access, affordability and accountability in relation to the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), North Carolina’s taxpayer-funded private school voucher program which was expanded in late 2023 to offer vouchers to all students, regardless of their family’s income or […]

Public Dollars, Private Schools: Evaluating Access, Affordability, and Accountability in North Carolina’s Universal Voucher Program

As the education privatization movement has spread across the country, school voucher programs have become more common and more expansive in many states. These programs use taxpayer dollars to provide scholarships to families to send their children to nonpublic schools. Like many voucher programs, North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, which was created by the General […]

August 15 Policy Updates

Last week, the State Board of Education approved the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) five-year strategic plan, titled “Achieving Educational Excellence.” Meanwhile, Governor Stein signed the state’s mini-budget into law, funding core government operations and essential services. He also vetoed the Educational Choice for Children Act, though he committed to opting North Carolina into the […]

Leveraging the Community Schools Framework to Advance NC DPI & SBE Strategic Plan: Achieving Educational Excellence

Community Schools —an evidence-based school improvement strategy— began scaling statewide in 2023 with a grant from the Department of Education and coordination by the NC Community Schools Coalition (NCCSC). By fall of 2026, NCCSC aims to be supporting approximately 23,000 students in 46 schools across 28 districts. Community schools qualify as an evidence-based approach to […]

Donor Spotlight: Amos Fodchuk on the Power of Partnership in Supporting Local Public Schools

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is proud to launch our Donor Spotlight series, highlighting the leaders and partners whose generosity fuels our mission. In this first installment, we speak with Amos Fodchuk—founder and president of Advanced Learning Partnerships and the Forum’s board chair-elect. From his global career in education to his deep commitment […]

August 1 Policy Updates

The NCGA was back in session this week and followed an unusually busy agenda–from overriding eight vetoes to opting North Carolina into a vague and still-unfolding federal education voucher program. Meanwhile, educators across the state are breathing a sigh of relief as the U.S. Department of Education releases withheld federal funds. North Carolina General Assembly […]

July 18 Policy Updates

The NCGA is still on vacation, and we await further action on the budget when they return. It’s been another active week on the federal level, however, with big updates from the Supreme Court and states filing suit against the withholding of federal funds. Supreme Court Decision and the US Department of Education On Monday, […]