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charter schools Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Sep 03
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Report: Widespread school choice impacts charter enrollment

By News

A new report from the American Enterprise Institute sheds light on the future of the charter sector amid broader school choice expansion. The report, authored by Ian Kingsbury and David Marshall, includes survey data from 285 charter leaders in Arizona, Utah, and Florida. Each of these three states has a well-established and universal ESA (Education Savings Account) program.

School choice expansion, charter leaders said, has ushered in negative enrollment impacts for charter schools. And they expect more is coming.

Titled “The Future of Charter Schools in an Evolving School Choice Landscape,” the report indicates these states each had “robust” charter sectors when lawmakers passed ESAs.  They therefore “represent ideal case studies” for evaluating impacts of widespread choice on charter schools.

North Carolina is not included in the report. School choice expansion here includes an ESA+ Program for students with disabilities and a universal voucher (Opportunity Scholarship). Lawmakers removed income limits on the voucher in 2023.

Key findings from the report:

  • Nearly half of respondents reported enrollment losses due to students using an ESA for noncharter options (e.g., private school tuition or subsidized homeschooling), and nearly the same proportion anticipated a future decline in total enrollment. Enrollment impacts were most pronounced in Arizona.

  • Respondents reported a growing perception that private and microschool models now offer superior flexibility and autonomy.

  • The evidence offers a warning: Charter schools, long celebrated for innovation and choice, risk marginalization unless they undergo a fundamental shift away from a system-centric approach toward a parent-centric model.

Here is the breakdown of charter enrollment impacts:

The need to ‘modernize’ the charter sector

Charter school leaders also said laws should be updated to “modernize” the sector. Regulation and funding topped the list of areas that warranted change.

  • 65% cited the reduction of regulation and bureaucracy.
  • 58% referenced funding equity and facilities support.
  • 42% proposed relief around special education and compliance.

Here’s the table outlining responses:

Read more about the report from Carolina Journal or AEI.

Shutterstock photo above.

Jun 17
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New preview guidance on the federal education tax credit

By News

What can you expect when the federal education tax credit takes effect next January? North Carolinians now have a better idea, based on a preview of guidance released last week by the U.S. Treasury Department. According to preview guidance, Treasury and the IRS plan to issue proposed regulations by the end of September.

North Carolina became a “Covered State”–participating in the tax credit– when the General Assembly overrode Governor Stein’s veto of House Bill 87, “Educational Choice for Children Act.”  According to the U.S. Department of Education, North Carolina is the 28th state to opt in to the tax credit.

Formal guidance, according to recent remarks from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Kevin Salinger, is expected to note this:

  • Eligible SGOs (scholarship granting organizations) must spend a minimum of 90% of income on scholarships.
  • Being “located in” a state is defined as being authorized to do business there. The rules are expected to offer a path for SGOs to do business in multiple states.
  • Schools served by scholarships include public, private, and religious schools “providing K-12 elementary and secondary education as defined under state law.” If “treated as a school under the law,” home schools are also eligible.
  • Income verification for students will likely be through “paystubs, tax returns, IRS transcripts, Forms W-2, or through crediting agencies or commercial data sources”–or through participation in a needs-based government program.

Here’s the background information on the tax credit included in Treasury’s press release:

The new scholarship tax credit under section 25F is intended to expand educational opportunity by encouraging private contributions to scholarship-granting organizations. Participating States may opt in to the program and provide to the IRS a list of eligible scholarship-granting organizations located in their state. Scholarship-granting organizations that are included on one or more state SGO lists can receive qualified contributions from taxpayers and use those funds to provide scholarships for eligible students. Taxpayers who make qualified contributions may claim a federal tax credit, subject to applicable statutory requirements and forthcoming Treasury and IRS guidance.

The credit is designed to support scholarships for K–12 education expenses, helping families access educational options that meet their children’s needs. Treasury and the IRS are developing proposed regulations to provide States, scholarship-granting organizations, taxpayers, and other stakeholders with clear rules for implementation, compliance, reporting, and program integrity ahead of the credit’s expected 2027 launch.

Read more about the Treasury guidance from EdNC.

Public charter school families are eligible to participate. This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education notes the following uses:

Scholarships can be used for any qualified education expense of an eligible student, which includes a broad set of expenses incurred in connection with or required by any K-12 public, private, or charter school. Examples include tuition for students to attend private schools of choice, tutoring at public schools, and support services for students with disabilities.

For some families, this could mean using scholarships to pay for private school tuition at a school they choose. Other students will benefit from buying the equipment or uniforms needed for a career training program at a secondary school. Other families may seek a scholarship for tutoring or for after-school enrichment programs. The options are expected to vary in line with students’ unique academic needs, the focus of a particular SGO, and the educational opportunities available to students.

The American Federation for Children has a web page devoted to information about the tax credit. Learn more here.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Apr 10
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Rising juniors, apply for the Superintendent’s Advisory Council

By News

Do you have rising high school juniors who would be interested in serving on State Superintendent Mo Green’s Student Advisory Council? We encourage them to apply! The opportunity is open to all public high school students, including those from charter schools.

Here’s more about the Council from DPI:

Calling all rising juniors (current 10th graders) in high school! Apply today to serve as a Student Advisor on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green’s Student Advisory Council. If you are interested in state K-12 education issues, advocating on behalf of your peers, and serving as an advisor to decision-makers in K-12 education, this opportunity is for you!

The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council meets virtually each month, and members serve a two-year term that concludes at the end of their senior year of high school. Throughout the appointment, advisors hear from experts at the Department of Public Instruction, State Board of Education, the General Assembly, and the Governor’s Office, among others, to learn about issues facing our state and share their input on what can be done to support students, teachers and our local school districts and charter schools.

At the conclusion of each year, advisors have the opportunity to participate in a Student Advocacy Day at the North Carolina General Assembly. The council members will also meet with the Superintendent of Public Instruction during their visit to Raleigh.

Whether you attend a public charter school, a residential school, a magnet school, a year-round school, an early college high school, or a traditional public school – this opportunity is for you!

Applications are open now and close May 1 at 11:59 PM. Apply here. Read more about the Advisory Council from EdNC.
Mar 20
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New report sheds light on young adult outcomes for district, charter graduates

By News

An important national report out this week from Agency, a school choice advocacy organization, sheds new light on the professional, educational, and life outcomes of recent public school graduates. Outcome data are decidedly “mixed,” as Agency noted in the press release accompanying the report.

For instance, less than half of recent public high school graduates are working full-time, the report found. In addition, recent graduates’ top employment sector—service or customer-facing jobs—is dwindling, not growing.

Does a student’s public school model matter for young adult outcomes? The report seems to suggest it does, illuminating striking earnings differences between charter and district graduates. Within 10 years of graduation, charter alumni are earning $22,000 more annually, on average, than district alumni. Among students of color, the difference is even larger. Charter graduates of color earn almost $55,000 more per year, on average, compared to their peers who did not graduate from charter schools.

Charter alumni are also more likely to own their own home (33% compared to 23%). They are “slightly more likely” to earn a degree (38% compared to 31%), according to the report. Agency assessed associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degree attainment.

Source: Agency.

“Surprisingly, the type of public school these young people attended mattered more than other factors such as race and socioeconomic factors,” Agency founder and CEO Debbie Veney wrote in the report. Veney is a former communications leader at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

‘Turning the Tassel’ design and goals

The report, “Turning the Tassel: What Generation Z Says About Life After High School Graduation,” includes survey data from 5,000 public school students who graduated from district and charter schools between 2015 and 2025. The Harris Poll, which conducted the survey, did not query private school graduates.

Survey questions focused on outcomes including salary, educational attainment, home ownership, and civic engagement.

In the press release, Veney said the report sought to direct the conversation about school performance toward more current data points:

“Historically, the performance of public schools in America has been largely measured by graduation rates and standardized test scores … Maybe it’s time to look at some other data points, too. While these are important measures, they do not tell the full story. They are backwards-looking metrics that say nothing about how well students fare after high school graduation. And that’s what we wanted to know.”

Other key survey outcomes

Less than half of recent public school graduates are working full-time while 37% are working part-time or looking for work. According to the survey:

  • 49% are working full-time
  • 19% are looking for work
  • 18% are working part-time
  • 14% are not looking for work and are pursuing education

Where are recent graduates working? These are the sectors, according to the report:

  • 24% in service and customer-facing jobs
  • 19% in education, health care, and caregiving roles
  • 16% in skilled trades and labor
  • 12% in office and professional roles
  • 12% in STEM fields

Source: Agency.

Read the full report here. View the executive summary. See more from Yahoo! Finance.

Above photo: Shutterstock.

Jan 07
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Join us on January 20 for the Coalition’s regional meeting in Durham!

By News

Charter leaders, please join us on Tuesday, January 20, for the Coalition’s next regional meeting.  School administrators from Coalition member schools as well as non-member schools are invited!  Click here or on the image at the left to view the meeting invite.

 The details:

WHO: Leaders from Triangle-area charter schools

WHAT: “Navigating the New Regulatory Environment” (Presentation and Q&A)

WHEN: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

WHERE: Durham Charter School (new campus), 4621 Kemp Road, Durham, NC 27703

Attorney Matthew Tilley, the Coalition’s counsel, will lead a presentation specifically for charter school leaders, sharing insights about navigating the new regulatory environment and ensuring compliance. He’ll address which policies and regulations pertain to charter schools, and which do not—along with new session law requiring Charter Schools Review Board approval for any rule or policy impacting charter schools.

We’ll have plenty of time for networking and Q&A following the presentation.

We encourage all Triangle-area charter leaders to join us for this important and informative meeting!

Please RSVP to Dave Machado at dmachado@nc.chartercoalition.org by January 13.

Thank you to HICAPS Construction Management for sponsoring this Coalition event! 

Learn more about the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools here.

Oct 09
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Report to Charter Review Board shares new academic data for charter schools

By News

At this week’s Charter Schools Review Board meeting, Brandi Gill of the Office of Charter Schools (OCS) shared a new report with disaggregated data on charter schools’ 2024-25 academic performance. “The data represents a collective performance of our charter schools across the state, highlighting both achievements and areas for continued focus,” Gill said. View her presentation.

Report figures reflect data from 206 of 213 charter schools. (Alternative charter schools and schools with insufficient data were excluded.)

Here are highlights for charters’ school performance grades:

  • 30% of charter schools earned A or B grades.
  • Almost 41% received C grades.
  • 29% earned D or F grades.

This screenshot and others in this post are from the OCS presentation, “Academic Data Review: North Carolina Charter Schools 24-25 SY.”

Altogether, 71% of charter schools earned a school performance grade of C or better.

These are the five-year trends:

Here are some highlights on academic growth:

  • 29% of charter schools exceeded growth.
  • 44% met growth.
  • 28% did not meet growth.

These are the five-year growth trends:

Gill also shared “Top 10” lists for school performance grades and growth. We include both of those below.

Here are the trends for continually low performing and low performing schools:

We see quite a few Coalition member schools on the Top 10 lists! Congratulations to our amazing charter schools for their strong performance and growth last year.

Jun 05
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EdNC: New market share analysis for K-12 education

By News

EdNC has a new article out this week from UNC researchers examining trends in K-12 market share over the past decade. We found it to be pretty interesting, and we think you will, too. It reaffirms a refrain we have heard before: Parents are increasingly seeking out options for their children outside traditional district public schools.

In fact, charter schools’ share of the K-12 market grew by 4% between 2015 and 2024, researchers found.

There are several reasons for the overall shift in market share, according to researchers (Joanne Brosh of UNC’s School of Education and Lisa Carlson of Carolina Demography). In addition to demographic changes, state policies and “external factors” are also reshaping the contours of the K-12 education market, the researchers note.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

In North Carolina, market share for district public schools (and the alternative educational options) exhibits substantial year to year variation. For example, district public school market share fell sharply from 84% in 2015 to 79% in 2016, only to rebound to 82% in 2017.

… The overall trend, however, is clear: In 2015, 84% of school-age students in North Carolina were served by district public schools while in 2024, districts served 76% — an 8-point decrease in 10 years. Despite fluctuation, there is a consistent overall decrease in enrollment in North Carolina district public schools relative to alternative educational options.

… Between 2015 and 2024, market share grew by 4% for charter schools, 1% for private schools, and 3% for homeschools (Figure 2). While these alternative school options experienced year-to-year fluctuations, they also reflect a broader upward trend.

Read the full article from EdNC.

Here are two graphics from the article.

The first (Figure 1) shows the percentage of the state’s K-12 population enrolled in district public schools between 2015 and 2024.

Declining K-12 market share in district public schools between 2015 and 2024. Source: Joanne Brosh and Lisa Carlson, “Trends in school market share in North Carolina,” EdNC, June 2, 2025.

The second graphic (Figure 2) captures trend lines in market share in other school sectors between 2015 and 2024. The charter trend line is in blue, private school is in orange, and homeschool is in gray.

K-12 market share in alternative school models. Source: Brosh and Carlson, EdNC.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Dec 03
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Learn more about Linda McMahon, nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education

By News

On November 19, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Linda McMahon to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Education. What is her professional background? Formerly the administrator of the Small Business Administration and a member of President Trump’s Cabinet during his first term, Ms. McMahon has co-chaired Trump’s transition team and served as board chair for the America First Policy Institute. Earlier, she co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education. She also served as a board trustee for Sacred Heart University and candidate for the U.S. Senate from Connecticut.

A North Carolina native, Ms. McMahon grew up in New Bern and graduated from East Carolina University. She lives in Connecticut.

Read more

  • Mebane Rash, the CEO and editor-in-chief of EdNC, has a new, in-depth profile out on Ms. McMahon. You can read it here.
  • Joshua Starr, a former school superintendent in Connecticut, has written an essay in Education Week about his experience of working with Ms. McMahon; read that here.
  • View the statement from President-elect Trump announcing Ms. McMahon’s nomination as U.S. Secretary of Education.

What will her priorities be if she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next Secretary of Education? Here is what President-elect Trump outlined in his announcement:

As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand “Choice” to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families.

… Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.

This USA Today article shares additional insight on some of Ms. McMahon’s expected priorities. She has expressed support for charter school expansion, among other measures. Below, we share Ms. McMahon’s address to the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI.

Sep 03
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Safety Is the Top Reason Parents Choose a Charter School

By News

New polling data, out from EdChoice in the organization’s annual Schooling in America Survey, show safety is the top reason parents choose a public charter school. In fact, safety is also a primary reason parents choose private or homeschooling options for their children.

The EdChoice survey, conducted in April and released in August, queried 2,319 parents of school-age children as well as 1,502 members of the general population. In addition to asking parents about key reasons for their school choices, the survey also assessed parental and public views on the direction of education in America, various school choice policies, technology, and more.

We share some key findings below.

Safety tops the list of factors driving parents’ schooling choices–for most school models. It’s cited as a primary concern by:

  • 37% of charter school parents
  • 36% of private school parents
  • 53% of home school parents

The second most frequently cited reason for choosing a charter school is academic quality or reputation (36%).

Location or proximity to home or work is the top reason parents provide for choosing a district public school.

Source: EdChoice, “2024 Schooling in America Survey.”

Overall direction of education and school quality

Parents are increasingly pessimistic about education overall, and many are  dissatisfied with their local public schools.

Almost two-thirds of parents (64%) believe education is on the wrong track. Private school parents and charter school parents are more likely to say that education is headed in the right direction, compared to district or homeschool parents.

Source: EdChoice.

In addition, just 46% of parents would give their local district schools a grade of “A” or “B” for school quality. This represents a 7-point drop just since last year. Among charter school parents, 62% would give their local charter schools an “A” or “B.”

Source: EdChoice.

Support for school choice policies

Parents voice strong support for school choice options. Among the various school choice policies, education savings accounts (ESAs) top the list in terms of parental support. Charter schools are not as popular as some other school choice policies but still garner majority support–from 72% of parents and 63% of the public.

Source: EdChoice.

Source: EdChoice.

Technology in education

Parents are generally supportive of virtual learning options. A majority prefer either a part-time (58%) or full-time (53%) virtual option for their child’s schooling.

Source: EdChoice.

Read a summary of survey findings.

View EdChoice’s Schooling in America Survey Dashboard.

Jul 17
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New swing state poll: Black & Hispanic voters strongly support school choice

By Election 2024, News

A new poll of Black and Hispanic voters in seven battleground states finds high levels of support for public school choice. The poll, released July 10 by the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools, assessed the views of 906 likely voters in states that are expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 election. Those states are: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

In a press release highlighting findings, FCCS noted:

The poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Black and Hispanic swing state voters want families to have more options in the public school system, specifically the ability to send children to schools other than those they’re assigned to and that will best meet the needs of the children. There is also strong support among respondents for greater investments in public schools, including charter schools, which are free and accessible to all and positively impact students of color.

Key findings for Black and Hispanic voters:

  • 91% agree parents deserve the right to choose the public school that best meets their child’s individual needs.
  • 90% support increasing funding for all public schools, including public charter schools.
  • 81% want to give parents more schooling options in education.
  • 68% agree that children living in their neighborhood would access a better education if they could attend a school outside their zip code.
  • 66% believe public schools are failing Black/Latino children (75% of Black voters and 58% of Hispanic voters).
  • 61% describe the quality of American public schools as either “fair” or “poor.”
  • Just 50% agree that most Black/Latino children who attend their assigned public school receive a quality education (38% of Black voters and 61% of Hispanic voters).

Source: “Offering a Choice for Quality Education,” Polling presentation by Cornell Belcher, July 2024.

Learn more

Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies conducted the poll in conjunction with FCCS between June 4-10, 2024. Brilliant Corners is a polling firm run by Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher.