By Keith Poston
North Carolina’s public schools are being squeezed from both sides — and the pressure is building at exactly the wrong time.
At the state level, lawmakers have yet to pass a budget — now nearly a year late — leaving school districts in limbo on some of the most critical decisions affecting classrooms: teacher pay, funding levels and support for growing student needs.
At the local level, counties are stepping up — as they often must — to fill the gaps. In communities like Wake County, local funding supports teacher salary supplements, school construction and essential services beyond what the state provides. In fact, after the General Assembly eliminated pay increases for teachers with master’s degrees in 2013, Wake County stepped in to offset that loss — effectively asking local taxpayers to make up for a state policy decision that hurt teacher recruitment and retention.
Now, just as those local pressures intensify, the General Assembly is considering a constitutional amendment that would limit how much counties can raise property taxes.
Supporters say the proposal would protect homeowners. And that concern is real — no one wants to see families priced out of their homes. But the issue isn’t whether taxes should be lower. It’s whether the state is meeting its responsibility so local communities aren’t forced to make those choices in the first place. That raises a far more consequential question: If the state continues to underinvest in public education — and then restricts the ability of local communities to respond — what happens to our schools?
The answer should concern every parent, employer and taxpayer in North Carolina.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing states in the country, North Carolina continues to lag behind much of the nation — and even our neighboring states — when it comes to investment in public education.
North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation in average teacher pay. Even more troubling, we rank last — 51st — in per-pupil spending when adjusted for regional cost differences. Across both measures, we trail every neighboring state in the Southeast.
Those numbers are not just statistics — they are signals.
They signal to current teachers that they are undervalued.
They signal to potential educators that other states offer better opportunities.
And they signal to businesses and families that our commitment to public education is not keeping pace with our growth.
These gaps show up in real ways: challenges in recruiting and retaining experienced teachers, fewer resources in classrooms and increasing strain on schools working to meet more complex student needs.
Local governments have long served as the backstop for public education in North Carolina — funding teacher supplements, investing in school construction and providing flexibility when state funding falls short.
But that backstop only works if local leaders have the tools to respond.
This debate isn’t really about property taxes. It’s about responsibility.
In North Carolina, the state provides the majority of school funding. When that investment falls short, counties are left to fill the gap — often with the tools they have available.
Limiting those tools without addressing the underlying funding gap doesn’t solve the problem. It simply shifts the burden.
North Carolina families shouldn’t have to choose between higher local taxes or underfunded schools. That’s a choice created when the state fails to fully meet its role.
If state leaders want to limit local revenue options, the responsibility shifts back to the state to ensure its own investment is sufficient — as required by our state constitution. Right now, the data makes clear that’s not the case.
North Carolina’s economic success has long been tied to the strength of its public schools. The vast majority of our students are educated in them. Businesses locate here because of our talent pipeline. Families move here because of our communities. That foundation does not maintain itself.
It requires consistent, aligned investment.
If North Carolina is serious about remaining competitive and giving every student the opportunity to succeed, we cannot continue down a path that underfunds schools while limiting the ability of local communities to step in.
That approach doesn’t just squeeze school budgets.
It squeezes the future of our state.
Keith Poston is president of WakeEd Partnership, an independent nonprofit supported by business and community leaders to strengthen public schools in Wake County.
