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November 8, 2025

[1]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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Challenges Increase for NC’s Rural Schools

The National Rural Education Association just published an excellent new
report,[7] [8]Why Rural Matters 2025, documenting the needs of rural
schools and students throughout America. They ranked the states on
conditions of rural education from 1 (state most in need of
attention/improvement in rural conditions, policies, and resources to 50
(lowest priority or least in need of attention or direction change).
[9]NC’s priority ranking was 13; only 12 other states had a higher priority
ranking.

The report documents the many challenges facing our rural schools,
especially the low instructional expenditures per pupil, the lack of access
to support for well-being (e.g., school psychologists and counselors),
inadequate pre-k programs, the lack of health insurance and primary care
clinicians, and the persistent impacts of [10]poverty and [11]childhood
hunger. Now, our state, and especially our rural communities, face deep
cuts to [12]Medicaid and SNAP.

Rural schools in NC are crucial to their community’s stability and economic
health. Seventy-eight of NC’s 100 counties are classified as rural with
more than 1 in 3 NC students attending a school in a rural district. Only
Texas has more rural students.

[13]Why Rural Matters 2025 makes it clear that NC rural counties are facing
multiple crises in terms of educational loss, economic outcomes,
unemployment, and mental health. Seventeen percent of rural NC students
live in homes with household incomes below the poverty line. Nearly 14% of
our rural high school students did not graduate high school compared with
the national average of 89.4% rural graduation rate. (See Why Rural Matters
2025 [14]State-by-State Results for more details.)

NC legislators must help bridge the resource gap for rural schools. Because
rural counties often have a lower tax base, their schools are at a
disadvantage in terms of funding, which leads to resource disparities
compared to wealthier districts.

To make the struggles of rural schools worse, they are operating on last
year’s funding levels because state legislators have not yet passed a state
budget. Federal budget cuts are causing even more problems as some rural
districts rely heavily on federal dollars to make up for shortfalls in
state and local funding.

Rural schools in NC serve as a critical economic engine for their
communities. The success of rural schools is directly tied to the survival
of many rural communities. NC legislators must make rural education a top
priority. We must continue to advocate and push for legislation that helps
rural schools and gives them the resources necessary to enrich their
communities and provide students with the opportunity to succeed.

Editorial Comment: Accurate and longitudinal data is vital to responsible
policy-making in all levels of government. Read this disturbing note from
the [15]report authors: “The Why Rural Matters 2025 report uses data that
were downloaded mere weeks before the National Center for Education
Statistics dismissed nearly all its staff. The future is also uncertain
given that, at the time of this writing, the Institute of Education
Sciences has been directed to stop reporting and housing new data in its
data repositories.”

Impact of Medicaid & SNAP Cuts On Rural NC

[16]The NC Rural Center published a report in September 2025 on the impacts
of Medicaid and SNAP federal cuts passed by Congress on July 4, 2025
(H.R.1). This bill includes massive cuts to two safety net programs that NC
residents count on, especially in rural areas. These cuts are putting
thousands of North Carolinians at risk of losing medical and SNAP benefits.
The report documents how rural residents are enrolled in these programs at
higher rates and how the cuts will impact rural NC.

Medicaid Expansion. NC expanded Medicaid December 1, 2023. As of July 2025,
672,000 people were enrolled. Expansion enrollment varies by county with
the highest rate of expansion enrollment found in Robeson County (22.7 %).
Counties with the highest rates of enrollment are facing the greatest
impact if the expansion ends.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has
estimated as many as[17] [18]255,000 North Carolinians are at risk of
losing coverage with the impact being the greatest in rural counties.

New Recipient Reporting Requirements. Another huge impact on current
Medicaid recipients are the new requirements for online reporting predicted
to be more challenging for rural residents to complete. NCDHHS is working
on how this requirement will work, but at minimum, expansion recipients
will be required to reapply for coverage at least every six months
(currently once a year) and prove 80 hours of community engagement (work,
work programs, community service, etc.) per month to keep their
coverage. The new online reporting requirements require reliable access to
the internet. Rural communities in NC lag both in technology and internet
connection. “In North Carolina, [19]rural households[20] are more likely to
have a smartphone as the only computer technology in the household, no
computer technology at all, and no internet subscription” ([21]NC Rural
Center).

[22]Breaking NEWS: U.S. District Judge John McConnell on Thursday afternoon
(11/6) ordered the administration to deliver full SNAP payments to states
by Friday. The Trump administration appealed this decision and late last
night they agreed to fund SNAP for November while the appeal is heard by
the courts. The threats to cut SNAP have not been abandoned but this is a
welcome delay.

Snap Cuts. The Trump administration ordered that SNAP spending be reduced
effective November 1st, leaving states to pick up the costs if they want to
keep this critical program for low-income residents. SNAP will also have
new community engagement requirements and bring the same challenges faced
by Medicaid. For example, currently adults 18-54 without children must show
20 hours of community engagement each week to receive benefits. Under the
new requirements, the age group is expanded (ages 18-64) and parents who do
not have a child under age 14, veterans, unhoused people, and former foster
care youth are no longer exempted from the requirement. NC child advocates
worry that to pay for the current program, the NCGA will cut benefits. SNAP
has higher enrollments in rural areas and varies across the state ([23]NC
Rural Center).

As of April 2025, there were 1,419,742 [24]SNAP recipients enrolled in NC.
SNAP cuts will impact rural people for the same reasons that they will
reduce the number of people who are currently getting Medicaid—less access
to technology/internet and the burden of applying and reporting.

Veterns Day

[25]Veterans Day is on November 11 because it marks the anniversary of the
armistice that ended World War I, a day known as Armistice Day. The
fighting stopped at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of
1918. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American
veterans, not just those from World War I.

Legislative and SBE Updates

The NCGA convenes Monday, 11/17/2025 at 10 a.m.[26] See full calendar.

On Friday, November 7, the [27]Child Fatality Task Force, Unintentional
Death Prevention Committee will meet virtually. Streaming information will
be available on the committee website.

NCDPI had their monthly meeting this week and shared results from AP
testing last year. [28]More NC students are taking and passing AP exams
than ever before.

In Case You Missed It

[29]The Harmful Effect of School Choice Initiatives on Public Education

[30]Federal halt to SNAP hits school staff, including those who serve your
child's lunch

[31]'School choice' benefits few, costs all

[32]More than 100 days after the deadline, NC General Assembly has not
passed budget

[33]This fall, NC had a net loss of child care providers. The State budget
delay is one factor

[34]How severe will SNAP disruption be for NC families?

[35]In NC, don't expect state lawmakers to provide much emergency SNAP
funding

National News

The federal government is [36]still shut down, making this the longest
shutdown in U.S. History. The fate of health care and food and nutrition
benefits like SNAP are unsettled. Many federal workers are going without
paychecks with no relief in sight.

[37]Students make appeals to Congress to protect K-12 funding. The student
leaders representing 21 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto
Rico are from the National Student Council.

The federal shutdown is [38]harming several key programs such as Head Start
that provides early education, health and food support for low-income
families. As of 11/5/2025, Head Start programs in 18 states and Puerto Rico
had to close their doors. Nearly 10,000 children and families have been
left without access to care.

[39]Education Dept. scraps the 43-year-old Blue Ribbon program that honors
school for excellence or narrowing gaps in student performance.

Inaugural Year for NC Blue Ribbon Schools

Four NC public schools have been chosen as statewide [40]Blue Ribbon
Schools award winners:
* Apex Friendship Middle School (Wake Co. Public Schools)
* Henderson County Early College (Henderson Co. Public Schools)
* Mills Park Middle School (Wake Co. Public Schools)
* Pinehurst Elementary School (Moore Co. Public Schools)

The [41]National Blue Ribbon Schools Program was started in 1982 to
recognize public and private elementary, middle and high schools where
students showed exemplary achievement or where significant improvements
were being made in students' academic achievement.

The national program was cut in 2025. North Carolina has continued the
program at a statewide level to "recognize and highlight schools that are
excelling in academic success."

Did You Know?

Medicaid and SNAP programs now require recipients to report online their
community engagement (work, work programs, etc.). The lack of reliable,
high-speed internet presents a huge challenge for people in rural
communities who may have no access (or unreliable access) to the internet.
Even if they are achieving the monthly requirements, they may lose SNAP
benefits due to the online reporting requirement (Note that SNAP already
has work/community engagement requirements). According to the FCC, 15% of
residences in rural communities lack access to high-speed broadband.

Did You Miss Our Webinar?

Our recent webinar with Diane Ravitch is available on our [42]YouTube
channel.

Dr. Diane Ravitch discussed her new book, An Education: How I Changed My
Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else. She described what motivate
her to write the book and how she evolved from being a conservative leader
in the school choice movement to a fierce defender and proponent of public
schools.

If you donate $50 to Public Schools First NC (it's tax-deductible) and
select Ravitch's book, we will send you a copy! [43]Donate HERE

Mark Your Calendar!

Multiple Dates, 7:00-8:30 pm: Resilience and ACES. Learn about Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience. Join us for this
award-winning, 60-minute film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The
Science of Hope. This documentary examines how abuse, neglect, and other
adverse childhood experiences affect children’s development & health
outcomes in adulthood. This powerful movie is a conversation starter and a
perspective changer.

[44]REGISTER HERE

All screenings are on Thursday and include time for discussion. Invite a
friend and contact us about setting up a private screening for your school
staff, PTA, civic group, church, or synagogue.
* January 22, 2026
* February 26, 2026
* March 26, 2026

Request A Speaker!

Need a speaker for your next event or group meeting? PSFNC welcomes the
opportunity to speak to your group or organization on public
education-related topics.

We offer our programs virtually to improve accessibility and attendance and
therefore extend your reach. Our services are free of charge but may
require travel-related expenses if the program is in-person.

Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Words to Remember

“Rural schools educate nearly one in five students in the United States…our
findings show both extraordinary strengths and persistent inequities that
demand immediate policy attention.”

- Jerry Johnson, EdD, co-author of Why Rural Matters 2025.

Help us support public schools!

Public Schools First NC is a statewide nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit
focused solely

on pre-K to 12 public education issues. We collaborate with parents,
teachers, business and civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina
to advocate for one unified system of public education that prepares each
child for productive citizenship.

[45]DONATE HERE

[46]www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org

Questions? Contact us today at [email protected]

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