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NC Charter Schools Review Board Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Jun 19
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New state charter annual report highlights a growing, thriving sector

By News

A team from Pine Springs Preparatory Academy with members of the St. Charles School community in Tanzania. PSPA team members traveled to Tanzania in 2025 to serve local schools, and their global service is highlighted in the new charter report. Photo courtesy of Kristen Favia/PSPA.

The state’s new 2025 Annual Charter Schools Report is out! The North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board approved the report last week. Now, the report heads to the State Board of Education and later, to the General Assembly.

What’s a top-line takeaway from the report? Numbers highlight a growing and thriving charter sector, as evidenced by student enrollment/K-12 market share, the number of charter schools, long-term and recent trends, and national data.

In her presentation to CSRB last week, Ashley Logue, executive director of the Office of Charter Schools, said the report shares data from the 2024-25 school year, along with data on the current year, when available. Some report highlights are below.

Charter enrollment and schools

North Carolina charter schools served 161,057 students during 2025-26, representing 10.5% of public school market share in the state. At the beginning of the school year, 213 charter schools operated statewide–a high water mark, according to the presentation. However, CSRB closed two charter schools mid-year, so 211 charter schools operated this spring.

Screenshot from Ashley Logue’s presentation to CSRB.

At the beginning of this school year, 138 charter schools reported over 59,000 students on waitlists. As the report notes, some names may be duplicates, as students may be on more than one waitlist.

North Carolina’s charter sector has attracted national attention for rapid growth. Logue cited an enrollment brief from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, tracking trends across the country between 2019-20 and 2024-25. That brief found that North Carolina had the fourth-fastest growing charter enrollment in the nation, behind only Texas, Florida, and California.

Screenshot from Logue’s presentation to CSRB.

Demographics, academic performance, and more

The annual report also includes information on charter student demographics and academic performance. Charter schools in North Carolina serve a higher percentage of white and Black students, and lower percentages of Hispanic students, compared to traditional district schools.

Charter schools are also making small improvements in school performance grades and with academic growth–and are seeing decreases in the percentage of low performing schools.

Remote charter academies continue to grow in number, with 10 operating across the state during this school year. Nineteen are expected to operate in 2026-27.

Charter school spotlights

The end of the annual report includes information that spotlights “best practices and innovation” among our state’s charter schools. Congratulations to all of the charter schools and leaders named in the report!

Here are some of the entries from Coalition member schools.

  • School turnaround and academic achievement: Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy and Central Wake High School
  • National recognition and awards: Northeast Academy for Aerospace & Advanced Technologies (NEAAAT) and TMSA Apex, along with numerous charter schools earning Purple Star Awards
  • Student achievement and leadership: Moram Hamed from TMSA Triad and Roshan Naik from Pine Lake Preparatory
  • Global engagement and service: Pine Springs Preparatory Academy
Jun 11
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Congratulations to the five new charters earning opening approval

By News

Five new charter schools are on their way to open doors for the first time in August! Members of the 2026 Ready to Open (RTO) cohort, the schools all received final approval on Monday from the North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB) to exit RTO and open.

The new charter schools opening across the state are as follows:

Congratulations to these five RTO schools!

Currently, charter schools operate across North Carolina as the 2025-26 school year comes to a close. With these five schools, 216 charter schools are expected to operate statewide in 2026-27.

Above photo: Shutterstock

May 19
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Ten charter students earn NC SECU scholarships

By News

2026 NC SECU Scholarship winners with the CSRB on Monday, May 11.

The Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB) last week honored 10 charter school students who were awarded the 2026 NC SECU People Helping People Scholarship. Students receive a $10,000 scholarship to attend a state university.

Seven of this year’s charter school scholarship recipients attended Monday’s meeting in person, and they shared their educational and professional plans with CSRB members.

Here are the 10 charter scholarship recipients for 2026:

Congratulations to all of these students on this achievement!

*This post has been updated following publication to incorporate corrections from the Office of 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.

Jan 16
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NC Charter Review Board approves renewals for 37 charter schools

By News

Earlier this week, the Charter Schools Review Board voted to renew the charters of 37 charter schools. Congratulations to each of these schools!

We share renewal terms below.

10-year renewals (20 schools)

  • Clover Garden
  • The New Dimensions School
  • Davidson Charter Academy
  • Wake Preparatory Academy
  • FernLeaf Community Charter School
  • Bradford Preparatory School
  • Pioneer Springs Community School
  • Unity Classical Charter School
  • Telra Institute
  • Moore Montessori Community School
  • KIPP Pride College Preparatory
  • Roxboro Community School
  • Faith Academy Charter School
  • Carolina Charter Academy
  • Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy
  • Concord Lake STEAM Academy
  • The Institute for the Development of Young Leaders
  • Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington
  • Commonwealth High School
  • Stewart Creek High School

7-year renewals (3 schools)

  • Gate City Charter Academy
  • Success Institute Charter School
  • Thomas Academy

5-year renewals (9 schools)

  • Crosscreek Charter School
  • ALA-Coastal
  • Union Day School
  • Raleigh Oak Charter School
  • Next Generation Academy
  • Summit Creek Academy
  • Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington
  • NC Cyber Academy
  • NC Virtual Academy

3-year renewals (5 schools)

  • Asheville PEAK Academy
  • The Experiential School of Greensboro
  • Iredell Charter Academy of Arts & Sciences
  • ALA-Charlotte
  • Z.E.C.A. School of Arts & Technology

Votes on two schools, Old Main STREAM Academy and Rocky Mount Preparatory Academy, were delayed until next month.

Read EdNC’s deep dive coverage of the CSRB’s meeting.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Dec 12
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Charter Review Board closes Monroe Charter, approves two applicants, denies two more

By News

The Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB) met on Monday and Tuesday for its December meeting. The CSRB took a number of actions, closing Monroe Charter Academy immediately for operating illegally; approving two charter applicants and denying two others; and interviewing schools in the 2026 charter renewal cohort. Here’s a recap below.

Monroe Charter Academy’s closure

The CSRB voted to terminate Monroe Charter Academy’s charter, effective immediately, citing reasons outlined in N.C. General Statute 115C-218.95. The school received CSRB approval last month to relocate from Union County to Mecklenburg County but had not secured a valid educational certificate of occupancy for its new facility. Monroe Charter began operating remotely before Thanksgiving and had exceeded the number of remote instruction days allowed by state statute.

Learn more in EdNC’s deep dive coverage of the CSRB meeting.

Charter applicants

The CSRB has finished interviews for charter applicants in the 2025 application cycle. Seventeen charter schools submitted applications in this cycle. Five withdrew and 12 moved forward with interviews, according to the Office of Charter Schools (OCS).

This month, the CSRB approved Somerset Preparatory Academy NC and Celeste Beauty Academy. Both schools will now enter the Ready to Open (RTO) process. The CSRB denied applications for Cape View Leadership Academy and Myrtis Simpson Walker Academy.

View the OCS presentation on charter applicants.

Renewal presentations

The CSRB continued to hear presentations this month for schools in the 2026 charter renewal cohort. Thirteen schools clearly meet statutory criteria for automatic 10-year renewals, while OCS is recommending two more for 10-year renewals. Those two schools came before the CSRB this month, as did seven other charter schools (in addition to Monroe Charter, outlined above).

See the OCS presentation on renewals.

Voting on renewals will take place in February and March, according to OCS.

Amendment

Finally, the CSRB also approved an enrollment reduction request from Centerpoint Classical Academy. The school is currently in the RTO process and plans to open in August 2026.

RTO (Ready to Open) changes

Ashley Logue, director of OCS, said this week that she would take another month to collect and compile feedback on potential changes to the RTO process. She plans to hold a public session in January to share more about the RTO process, and she will solicit feedback on ways to improve it.

The CSRB meets next on January 12-13, 2026.

Above photo: Shutterstock.

Sep 11
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Dave Machado presents to the Charter Schools Review Board

By News

On Monday, Dave Machado, the Coalition’s executive director, shared a presentation about the Coalition with the N.C. Charter Schools Review Board. He focused specifically on highlights from the Coalition’s 2024 Annual Report, noting work to protect and promote public charter schools.

He also shared the Coalition’s three core functions: advocacy, communications, and education.

The Coalition’s status as a 501(c)(6) organization enables intensive advocacy work at the state legislature and an unlimited ability to lobby on charter schools’ behalf, Dave said. The Coalition works to advocate “for charter school laws that make sense, … to stop charter school laws that don’t make sense,” and to advance the state’s charter school movement.

Communication involves outreach to both internal and external stakeholders, Dave said, including a weekly members’ newsletter and a monthly parent newsletter. The Coalition also hosts biweekly legislative updates with our Government Relations Team, which gives members an opportunity to ask questions about bills.

Regarding education and Coalition members specifically, Dave said:

We want to educate them on the issues that are facing charter schools, not just at the General Assembly, but at the Department of Public Instruction, at the Office of Charter Schools … We hear it all the time, “I feel like I’m an island out here by myself.”  We want to make sure that you’re not an island, that we are your voice, and you can call us anytime … If I don’t have the answer, I try to get it.

In addition, Dave highlighted key legislative achievements from 2024. You can see those in the presentation screenshot below:

He ended with a quote from Rep. James Roberson (D-Wake) about charter schools that’s featured on this slide from the presentation and is included in the Coalition’s annual report:

More

*This post has been updated.

Jul 30
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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.

Read more

Jul 29
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State lawmakers override Governor’s veto of S254 – Charter School Changes

By Legislation, News

North Carolina lawmakers today voted to override Governor Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 254 – Charter School Changes. This is a major legislative victory for the state’s charter schools.

S254 includes most of the Coalition’s legislative priorities for this long session. Provisions in the bill will significantly benefit the state’s charter sector. So, we wish to thank all of the state lawmakers in both chambers who supported this important legislation.

The Coalition’s Government Relations Team worked very hard to get this legislation passed, and we are so pleased it is now session law. Thank you to the charter leaders who contacted legislators to express your support. Your advocacy matters!

The vote was 30-19 in the Senate and 74-46 in the House. Learn more here.

Following the vote to override, Coalition Executive Director Dave Machado released this statement today:

“On behalf of more than 150,000 students who rely on a public charter school for their education, thank you to the 74 members of the House of Representatives and 30 members of the Senate who voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 254.

“Public charter schools succeed because of their flexibility and autonomy. Senate Bill 254 protects that flexibility and autonomy by empowering a body of charter school experts, insulated from political maneuverings, at the front line of regulation and oversight.”

Coalition Counsel Matthew Tilley has compiled bullet points summarizing major provisions of this legislation. Senate Bill 254:

  • Confirms that the State Board of Education (SBE) cannot adopt any rules or policies related to charter schools unless they are first approved by the Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB).
  • Requires that hearings on appeals from Department of Public Instruction (DPI) decisions to revoke, rescind, or require repayment of federal grants be heard by the CSRB.
  • Requires that the executive director of the Office of Charter Schools (OCS) be selected by, and report to, the CSRB.
  • Grants the CSRB authority to hire its own legal counsel.
  • Appropriates money to pay for CSRB’s legal counsel for the 2025-27 biennium.
  • Prohibits SBE from withholding funds to a charter school unless (1) it is due to a reduction in ADM or (2) the CSRB (rather than the Superintendent) notifies SBE that the school is in violation of its charter, is mismanaging its finances, or has violated the terms of a State or federal grant.
  • Grants charter schools freedom to relocate within 10 miles without a charter amendment, so long as they remain within the same district (LEA).
  • Clarifies that charters have authority to use their own teacher evaluation tools.
  • Requires that low-performing or continually low-performing charter schools report and present improvement plans to the CSRB, rather than SBE.
  • Requires DPI to provide first-year schools access to a financial data reporting platform (LINQ) at no cost.
  • Provides that a charter school operating a remote academy with 250 or more students can apply for a separate charter for the remote academy, and authorizes the CSRB to grant the request for a separate charter on an expedited basis.

Read the text of S254 – Charter School Changes. 

Learn more about specific S254 provisions in this Coalition blog post.

Bill provisions take effect beginning with this current 2025-2026 school year.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Jan 27
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State Superintendent Green visits Pine Springs Prep to launch School Choice Week

By News

It’s National School Choice Week! On Friday, just before the launch of NSCW, State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green visited Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, a K-8 public charter school in Holly Springs. A Coalition member school, Pine Springs Prep is led by Bruce Friend, who also chairs the state’s Charter Schools Review Board.

On Friday morning on X, Superintendent Green wrote about his visit to Pine Springs Prep:

Families in North Carolina deserve to have access to school choice, including high-quality charter schools. This morning, I toured the beautiful Pine Springs Preparatory Academy in Holly Springs and had a chance to meet with their leadership, students and staff, as well as members of the North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board. I look forward to continuing to learn about all of the wonderful @ncpublicschools in our state!

Left to right: John Eldridge, Vice Chair, Charter Schools Review Board; State Superintendent Mo Green; Bruce Friend, Executive Director, Pine Springs Prep, and Chair, Charter Schools Review Board; Ashley Baquero, Director, North Carolina Office of Charter Schools; and Gregg Sinders, Board Member, Pine Springs Prep, and Board member, NC Coalition for Charter Schools Board of Directors.
Photo credit: State Superintendent Green/X.

We appreciate Superintendent Green’s spotlight on an excellent public charter school–and we look forward to highlighting charter excellence this week!

National School Choice Week 2025 runs from January 26 to February 1.