Our Henderson County Public Schools are under attack.
Leadership
We have seven members on our HCPS School Board. All are registered Republicans. Three of the members, including the Board Chair, are reasonable. The other four have an agenda that includes:
Introducing some form of Bible instruction during the school day.
Eliminating “woke” instruction (and presumably “woke” teachers).
Guarding against instruction using Critical Race Theory.
Banning books deemed inappropriate (those with “dirty” words, that focus on sex education, or that discuss LGBTQ issues, among other topics).
The First Amendment enshrines the doctrine of “separation of church and state.” Public funds should not be used to promote a “state” religion of any kind.
Funding
School funding is a major issue not only here but in every school district in North Carolina. Our once-proud public schools are rapidly falling on hard economic times.
Here are some data points:
North Carolina ranks 38th in teacher pay, down two spots from last year. The national average annual salary is $69,000. North Carolina is at $56,000.
The $39,000 starting salary here ranks 42nd nationally.
North Carolina ranks 49th in terms of “funding effort”: that is, the share of state Gross Domestic Product we spend on public schools.
North Carolina spends just over $13,000 per pupil K-12, ranking 38th nationally.
We have two charter schools in the county. These schools are funded out of the HCPS budget, with allocations above the per-school budget for other county schools.
Our Republican-dominated North Carolina General Assembly has been aggressively moving tax revenues to fund school vouchers. The voucher program is diverting tax dollars away from public school funding. Essentially, vouchers go to any parents of public school students who wish to send their children to private schools. Each student carries a stipend of over $6,000 to their private school. The vast majority of private schools have a religious component, meaning taxpayers are funding religious instruction. The separation of church and state, a founding principle of our democracy, is being disregarded.
Private Schools
Private schools:
Are not subject to financial oversight (public schools are).
Are not required to divulge their curriculum or share data on the academic progress of their students (public schools are).
Can reject the application of any student without justification.
Are not required to serve students with special needs.
Are not required to provide an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for students with disabilities (learning disabilities, physical challenges, ADD, ADHD, autism spectrum, dyslexia, dyscalculia, emotional or behavioral disabilities).
Typically do not reflect the student diversity of the surrounding area.
Among families who applied for vouchers last year in North Carolina:
55% had incomes above $115,000.
Only 19% had incomes of $57,000 or less. (Source: North Carolina State Educational Assistance Authority)
Think of vouchers as: Welfare for the Wealthy
HCPS is currently early in the process of negotiating its budget for next school year. About 10% of the budget comes from the U.S. Department of Education. A significant portion of the federal contribution is at risk due to cuts proposed by Republican leadership. For instance:
Title 1, which has an $18 billion budget focusing heavily on students at risk of failing, is at risk of elimination.
The IDEA program, primarily serving students with disabilities, is being targeted for conversion to voucher programs for private schools.
The largest piece of the HCPS budget comes from the NC General Assembly. Since Republicans took control of the NCGA 14 years ago, they have gradually choked off funds to public schools. The squeeze has accelerated in the past three funding cycles due to the expansion of the voucher program.
Our three local representatives in Raleigh—Senator Moffitt and Representatives Balkcom and Johnson, all Republicans—have consistently voted with their caucus to support vouchers.
The final budget piece comes from our County Commissioners. Like our state representatives, all five Commissioners are Republicans. They prioritize other spending over HCPS support and consistently hold funding to a minimum. For example, they cut back funding for the free breakfast/lunch program for the current school year. Raises for teachers and staff have also failed to keep up with inflation.
Our public schools are the lifeblood of our county. We need educated HCPS graduates to maintain our quality of life in Henderson County.
What You Can Do
There are ways you can support HCPS:
Join Public Schools Strong (PSS). Members attend monthly School Board meetings. Our presence signals to the Board that citizens are monitoring their actions and are prepared to speak out in defense of our schools, teachers, and students.
Attend County Commissioners’ twice-monthly meetings. Even if you don’t speak, your presence matters. If you wish to speak, frequent attendees can help you find your voice. Reach out, and we can discuss ways to make your concerns heard.
Joe
Carolann