Free Pass for Statewide Virtual Charter Schools |
In their first meeting of the year, the Charter School Review Board reviewed 37 charter schools for renewals. Included in the group were the state’s two virtual charter schools, which were being reviewed for the first time since their launch in 2015. Initially started as pilot programs, their pilot status was extended multiple times despite poor performance. The 2023 Appropriations Act (Section 7.26) extended the pilot program through the end of the 2025-26 school year, so to stay open, both statewide virtual charter schools had to undergo review this year. Legislation allowed the virtual charter schools to apply for a charter as “remote charter academies” (established as part of the 2023 Appropriations Act) and stipulated that remote charter academies could only be renewed for 5 years. The 3, 7, or 10-year renewals were not options, though the legislation did not provide a justification for the 5-year requirement. NC Virtual Academy and NC Cyber Academy are chronically low-performing schools. NCDPI defines low-performing schools as "those that receive a school performance grade of D or F and a school growth score of 'met expected growth' or 'not met expected growth.' Continually low-performing schools have been low performing for two of the last three years." Except in 2023, when NC Virtual Academy received a C performance grade and Exceeded growth expectations, both schools have only received D performance grades and have Not Met growth expectations. (See School Report Cards for NC Virtual Academy and NC Cyber Academy.) According to the Charter School Renewal Guidelines, neither school meets the criteria for receiving a 5-year renewal. Both clearly fail to meet criteria 5: The school is not currently designated as continually low-performing. |
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Adding complexity to the virtual charter school renewal is the question of why they have so much extra money. According to the NCDPI Office of School Business, by the end of 2025, NC Cyber Academy had $9.7 million and NC Virtual Academy had $16.0 million in leftover funds. Why aren’t those funds being used to serve students? For NC Virtual Academy, the answer may be found in the lawsuits currently pending against the organization that runs the school—K-12, formerly Stride K-12— which is traded on the NY Stock Exchange. For example, in September 2025, a New Mexico school board sued Stride for fraud, deceptive trade practices, and systemic violations of law regarding mandated teacher-to-student ratios. Investors have also sued Stride for inflating profit estimates and for enrolling “ghost students” to inflate profits and undercutting essential staffing requirements to boost profits. With millions in unspent funds and chronically low-performing student achievement, these statewide virtual charter schools merit further examination by lawmakers who are interested in student educational quality and/or fiscal responsibility. Senate Bill 371 (Stop Chronically Low-Performing Charters) was introduced in the 2025 long session to address some of the loopholes currently enjoyed by charter schools. For example, unlike traditional public schools, low-performing charter schools are exempt from the requirements for school improvement planning. A requirement for low-performing traditional public schools is the “development of a school or district plan for improvement that specifically addresses the strategies the school or district will implement to improve both the School Performance Grade and School Growth designation. These final plans are shared with the public, including parents, guardians, and staff and are made available through the local district website and the NCDPI website.” Unfortunately, Senate Bill 371 was not advanced. Perhaps in the 2026 short session, it will be revisited along with legislation to require accountability for private schools such as publicly available performance metrics. |
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Connecting the Troubling History of School Privatization Efforts to the New Federal School Voucher Program |
Southern Education Foundation’s latest publication provides an important perspective for anyone considering the pros/cons of the federal voucher program. School vouchers are often framed as a tool for choice, but their origins tell a very different story—one rooted in efforts to resist integration and preserve racial segregation. This memo recounts the troubling historical roots of school vouchers and examines how school privatization efforts continue to exacerbate racial inequalities and harm students. The document begins with a summary of the new federal school voucher program, followed by a historical timeline of school vouchers and relevant contemporary examples of racial discrimination. The memo concludes with federal and state policy recommendations to safeguard student civil rights and strengthen public schools. Understanding the history of school vouchers is essential for policymakers committed to developing a system that serves all students, as today’s decision on school vouchers will shape whether public education remains a cornerstone of opportunity or balloons into a private commodity that drives segregation and inequality. READ MORE |
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Legislative and SBE Updates |
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| Last summer, Congress passed a nationwide school voucher scheme buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). This program would redirect federal tax dollars to private schools and leave public schools across the country with fewer resources and deeper budget cuts. Governors now hold the power to opt their states into this pipeline, even though most families have never heard a word about it. In North Carolina, state lawmakers sidestepped the bill’s opt-in requirement by passing House Bill 87 (Educational Choice for Children Act), which required the state to adopt the federal voucher program. Governor Stein vetoed it. In his veto message, he said he would wait to make a final decision until the guidance for the program is released. In the coming weeks, Governor Stein may make his decision about the federal voucher program, and the public has very little time to intervene. No governor should volunteer their state to participate in a program that destabilizes public schools and gives private institutions a blank check. If they do, billions of tax dollars will flow into private institutions that face little oversight and serve only a fraction of students. This is the moment to make it clear that families, educators, and voters will not tolerate a federal voucher takeover of our public schools. Together, we can stop this federal voucher pipeline before it causes more harm to North Carolina’s children. Contact Governor Stein and urge him to reject the federal voucher program! |
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Join Us in Raleigh on February 11 to Support Public Schools! |
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| Our January wEDnesdays for Public Schools was a success! Join us on Wednesday, February 11 for our second installment. We are meeting on the second Wednesday of the month (through April) in front of the NCGA (Legislative Building) to speak up for NC’s public schools. Bring your signs and your friends and join us! Sign up here (just to let us know you're coming - it's not required). 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. State Legislative Building at 140 E Jones Street, Raleigh - February 11
- March 11
- April 8
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Check Out Our NEW NC Education Lottery Fact Sheet |
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| The North Carolina Education Lottery was created in 2005 when Governor Mike Easley signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act and the 2005 Appropriations Act into law. Originally, 35 percent of lottery proceeds were required to go to education. However, in 2007, the legislature changed this requirement to a guideline, removing legislation that safeguarded lottery funds for strictly educational purposes. As a result, the percentage of lottery revenue allocated to education spending has decreased in recent years. In 2024, the percentage of lottery revenue allocated for education spending dropped to 20.2%. This percentage further declined in 2025 to 16.4%. READ MORE |
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Voting by Mail Has Started for the March 3 Primary! |
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| On January 12, North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections started sending absentee-by-mail ballots to registered voters who requested a ballot for the 2026 primary election. This marked the start of voting for our March 3 primary election. Voters who have already requested absentee-by-mail ballots should receive them in the coming days. In North Carolina, any eligible voter can request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot by mail. Find more information at Vote by Mail. The absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 17. Election officials urge voters who wish to vote by mail to request their ballot as early as possible to ensure there is time to receive it and then send it back to their county board of elections so that it is received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day – March 3. Find more information at NCSBE.GOV or VOTE411.org. |
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| 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. 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. - February 26, 2026
- March 26, 2026
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| 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. |
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Words to Remember"I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession." — John Wooden, Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach and Teacher |
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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. |
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