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Bruce Friend Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Feb 10
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New 2026 Summit invite with speakers including NC Lt. Gov. Hunt

By News

Over 240 charter stakeholders convened last February for the Coalition’s most recent Summit.

We’re very excited to share our new 2026 Summit invite with you. Access it here or by clicking on the invite image below. We’re pleased to see spots filling up–so don’t wait to register!

At this year’s Summit, you’ll hear from an incredible line-up of confirmed speakers, including:

  • Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt
  • Hayley Sanon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
  • Bruce Friend, Chair, Charter Schools Review Board
  • Matthew Tilley, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson, and Coalition Counsel
  • Ashley Logue, Executive Director, Office of Charter Schools (OCS)
  • Donald Bryson, CEO, John Locke Foundation; Publisher, Carolina Journal

You’ll also hear from state policymakers, industry experts, and the Coalition’s own Government Relations Team. Below, we share bios for two confirmed Summit speakers.

North Carolina Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt

Rachel Hunt began her career as an attorney in domestic law, helping families navigate complex challenges through mediation and practical problem‐solving. Seeing a need for greater support in education, she later founded Hunt for College, LLC, a consulting firm that guided students and parents through the college application process.

During the years she stepped back from full‐time work to focus on raising her children, Rachel remained deeply engaged in her community. She spent more than a decade volunteering with Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools and serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.

Her commitment to public service led her to seek elected office, where she served in the state legislature and worked to support the people and communities she represented in Charlotte. Today, as the 36th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, she brings forward the values instilled in her by her parents, former Governor Jim and Carolyn Hunt—service, integrity, and a belief in the power of education.

Rachel’s career reflects a lifelong dedication to strengthening schools, supporting families, and building thriving communities. As Lieutenant Governor, she has launched her Future‐Ready North Carolina agenda to address the child care crisis, bolster community colleges, and invest in workforce development—ensuring a strong and prosperous future for our state.

As you likely know, Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt also serves on the North Carolina State Board of Education. What you may not know is that she served on the board of her son’s charter school. You can see a longer bio for Lt. Governor Hunt here.

Hayley Sanon – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Strategist, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Hayley Sanon most recently served as the K-12 Education Policy Advisor for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Previously, she was the Program Manager of the American Enterprise Institute’s Conservative Education Reform Network. She started her career in education as a 7th grade math teacher in Greensboro, NC. She holds an M. Ed. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science, with a minor in Education, from Duke University. She is a proud North Carolina native, born and raised in Winston-Salem.

In addition to sharing remarks, Ms. Sanon will also take questions from the audience. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear more about the national K-12 landscape and what’s next for charter schools–as well as where charter schools fit, given the recent restructuring of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education with the U.S. Department of Labor. We’re also so pleased that Ms. Sanon is a former teacher and North Carolina native!

See the Department of Education’s fact sheet outlining the interagency agreement with the Department of Labor.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Coalition Member Schools

  • Register early and receive a discount. Cost to attend before March 3: $125.
  • Cost to attend after March 3: $150.

*Multiple attendee discount: For every two leaders who register from each member school, a third leader may attend for free.

Non-Member Schools

  • Register early and receive a discount. Cost to attend before March 3: $175.
  • Cost to attend after March 3: $200.

*Membership incentive: Charter schools that join the Coalition before February 24 will receive the member discount on registration.

Hotel and registration

  • The Coalition has reserved a block of rooms at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel ($169/night). Book your hotel room here. Rooms are available until March 10; however, last year’s hotel block filled up, so don’t wait!
  • Click here  to register for the Summit. View the reception invite here.

Learn more about the Advocacy Summit or the Coalition.

Jul 30
Love0

EdNC: Deep dive on charter enrollment and trends

By News

Pine Springs Preparatory Academy in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Photo courtesy of Bruce Friend/EdNC.

EdNC has published a new deep dive on charter enrollment and trends. The article addresses where charter enrollment growth is occurring in North Carolina right now–and it also shares how the state stacks up nationally for schools and students.

We include an article excerpt below.

As a new school year dawns, North Carolina’s charter sector is poised for robust, continued enrollment growth. Yet experts point to increasingly high hurdles for new charter schools, with facility acquisition and increased competition for students topping the list. Established, rather than new, charter schools are the primary drivers of enrollment growth now, as obstacles to opening and other K-12 changes reshape the sector.

“The challenges of getting open are vast,” said Ashley Baquero, the executive director at the state’s Office of Charter Schools (OCS). She is seeing more delays from schools in the charter pipeline, as they struggle to find and finance facilities and hit enrollment targets.

Meanwhile, established charter schools with facilities, funding, and reputational capital continue to expand.

“The data has shown that the schools that have been around a little bit longer tend to be the ones that are growing — where a lot of the new enrollments are coming in,” said Bruce Friend, chair of the state’s Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB).

During the 2024-25 school year, state charter enrollment increased to 153,480 students, according to the new annual charter schools report from OCS. This figure represents a 6.1% annual enrollment uptick and an overall increase of 8,845 students since 2023-24.

Charter demand continues to outpace supply: 77% of state charter schools reported waitlists last year, totaling 74,287 students.

Somewhat paradoxically, however, the number of charter schools in 2024-25 declined for the first time in 14 years, dropping to 208 schools from 211 the year before. This is the first school downturn since state lawmakers removed the cap on charter school growth in 2011.

Only two new charter schools opened last year: ALA Monroe and Riverside Leadership Academy. Together, they accounted for 6.5% of the total annual enrollment increase, based on final Average Daily Membership (ADM) figures.

See the rest of the article from EdNC.

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