Ann Doss Helms, WFAE

The number of charter schools surged after North Carolina lifted its 100-school limit in 2011. Today there are 210 charter schools with more than 145,000 students.

The two-term Democratic governor is putting in a lot of energy in his final year in office arguing that the General Assembly’s expansion of Opportunity Scholarships undermines public schools.

Critics of the voucher program like to say that even millionaires can now get public money to help pay their kids’ private school tuition. And that’s true in theory. But the legislation gives first priority to current scholarship recipients and lower-income families.

Last year 62 of North Carolina’s 211 charter schools were rated as low performing or continuously low performing, and state officials want to bring that number down.

The increase comes as legislators prepare to dramatically expand public subsidies for private school tuition.

Some North Carolina high school students could soon decide to skip their senior year under an early graduation plan that’s moving through the House and Senate.

A report presented to the state Board of Education Wednesday confirms what teachers and parents have been saying: Crime, violence and misbehavior in North Carolina’s public schools surged last year, as students returned after pandemic disruptions.

One-quarter of last year’s North Carolina third-graders were either held back or placed in special reading classes this year because of low reading scores. That’s according to a report presented to the state Board of Education, which also showed summer reading camps did little good.