PSFNC Celebrates Public Schools During School Choice Week

Public schools provide an excellent choice in North Carolina, with extensive educational options, transparency, accountability and many community benefits.

“Public schools are a smart investment in our state’s future. When public schools are supported, our students shine and our future is assured,”  Marie Dexter, President, Wake County PTA Council.

During National School Choice Week, PSFNC celebrates strong public schools as the best choice for our communities.  Public schools welcome and provide a free education to all students regardless of income, race, ethnicity, religion, language ability, or other characteristics such as learning needs or physical challenges. In North Carolina, the overwhelming majority of students attend public schools. Supporting and strengthening them is one of the smartest investments we can make in our children and communities.

Recent polling shows that the general public strongly supports public education, with 88% agreeing or strongly agreeing that “We should all support our neighborhood public schools, be on the side of our teachers, and make things better for all our kids,” and 86% agreeing that “Investing in our children is not a political choice, it is a moral choice, it is the right choice, and it is a smart choice.”

Further, research has shown the vital role educators play in preparing children for success and how the best possible investment of tax dollars for our children’s education is in public schools. Polling by the Hunt Institute found that 93% of respondents (representing all political groups) believed that hiring high quality teachers was important and 92% believed that investing in teacher training and retention was important.

Approximately 70% of North Carolinians do not have children in school, but they are still affected by the wellbeing of their local school district. Strong local public schools are an important factor for real estate prices, which affect every current and future homeowner. Fortunately, it is widely known that thriving public schools elevate real estate values and enhance the likelihood of business investments.

Because public schools are governed by elected leaders, all members of the community have a voice in the future of their schools. Public schools are fully accountable for how public dollars are spent, conduct criminal background checks on staff, publish student achievement data, and follow curriculum content standards.

In addition to being the only school choice accountable to the public, public schools also provide an unmatched array of choices with offerings that range from early-college, international baccalaureate, dual language/immersion, STEM/STEAM, arts, career tech, leadership, world studies, gifted/talented programs, and a wide variety of athletic programs and clubs.

North Carolina now ranks 50th in education funding level, 50th in education funding effort, and 43rd in average teacher pay. Despite being underfunded, North Carolina public schools continue to perform far above the level of support they receive.

North Carolina is 1st in the number of National Board Certified teachers and above the national average in qualifying Advanced Placement exam scores (scores of 3, 4, or 5). North Carolina students are statistically tied with the national average scores on National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, and scores on statewide end-of-grade and end-of-course exams continued to rise this year in nearly every grade and subject. North Carolina’s four-year graduation rate reached a record high of 87.7% in 2024-25. 

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