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charter school advocacy Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Dec 09
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DPI releases enrollment growth funding

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Last week, the Department of Public Instruction released public school growth funding allotments for the 2025-26 academic year. Charter schools should have received an allotment covering their full enrollment growth.

The Coalition is very pleased about this development, especially as it is the direct result of our advocacy efforts. In 2024, the Coalition worked to secure charter enrollment growth funding in a contingency reserve, on a recurrent basis. This was a huge legislative win.

A brief history follows below, especially for school leaders who may not be familiar with Coalition advocacy efforts and timeline in this area.

History of House Bill 10 and Coalition Advocacy

In Summer 2024, it became clear that the legislature was unlikely to pass a budget. While this had financial implications for numerous things, the Coalition was particularly concerned about public charter schools with enrollment growth. These schools, we knew–along with district schools–would not be funded for growth without a state budget, given the shift to a “funding in arrears” model.

Coalition leadership and lobbyists moved quickly to reach out to lawmakers, engaging them in a concerted push to pass legislation with growth funding as a line item. Growth funding was first placed in a bill, House Bill 10, on September 9, 2024. Lawmakers passed House Bill 10 quickly, sending it to Governor Cooper on September 11. However, he vetoed the bill on September 20, objecting to another bill provision. In November 2024, the House and Senate voted to override his veto, and the bill became law.

View the 2024 statement from the Coalition, thanking lawmakers for enacting House Bill 10 into law. Within three weeks of lawmakers’ vote to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 10 in 2024, DPI had released growth funding for charter schools. Read more about our advocacy in this Coalition blog post or view House Bill 10/Session Law 2024-55.

We are pleased enrollment growth funding has been released to charter schools again this year! This kind of advocacy represents exactly why the Coalition exists, as we work to protect and promote public charter schools in North Carolina.

Mar 07
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Rising Leaders Application Deadline Extended Until March 15

By News

The application deadline for the Rising Leaders Initiative has been extended! Charter leaders now have until next Friday, March 15, to recommend a student to participate in this national advocacy program run by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Here are the eligibility requirements, according to the Alliance. Students must be:

  • Enrolled at a charter high school in the U.S.
  • In good academic standing.
  • Have a “demonstrated commitment to service through volunteering and contributing to their school and community.”
  • Possess an interest in “advocacy, leadership, and policy.”

Here’s how the Alliance describes the Rising Leaders Initiative:

The Rising Leaders Initiative is a one-year advocacy training program for high school students who attend charter schools. It is designed to inspire student engagement in education advocacy and cultivate the next generation of young leaders who will shape education policies in their local communities and states. By providing students with the tools and resources they need to become effective advocates for choices in public education, we can create a brighter future for all students.

Click HERE to learn more, recommend a student, or share the link to apply. The program begins in August and concludes in June 2025. Participating students are eligible for a $3,000 stipend. Direct questions to risingleaders@publiccharters.org.

Watch the video welcoming the 2023-24 cohort of Rising Leaders: