I am signing this petition, along with the Freedom Hill Coalition, as a concerned North Carolina resident, to demand that our state lawmakers take immediate action to fund all public schools across the state fairly. The current funding system perpetuates inequality, leaving schools in low-income and rural areas without basic resources. At the same time, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are allocated to private school vouchers instead of supporting public schools that serve all communities.

When schools lack sufficient resources, they are unable to provide students with the necessary support. This leads to larger class sizes, outdated textbooks and technology, limited extracurricular activities, and inadequate support services for students with special needs. It also leads to more suspensions and discipline problems that disproportionately hurt students of color and students with disabilities. These consequences push many students out of school and fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. These funding gaps harm the academic achievement of North Carolina’s children and further diminish our state’s initiatives to foster social and economic growth. 

To address these urgent issues, we are calling on the North Carolina General Assembly to take the following actions:

• Revise the State Funding Formula. Create a fair funding system that allocates more resources to schools in high-poverty areas, ensuring schools have sufficient funds to provide high-quality instruction regardless of their zip code. In the 2022-2023 school year, the disparity between the top ten wealthiest districts and the ten poorest districts in terms of average local spending per student was $3,225. 

• Increase Overall Education Funding and Reform Compensation. North Carolina ranks 48th in the country for per-student funding. Governor Stein's proposed 10.6% teacher raises are a start, but we need to pay all education staff fairly, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and teaching assistants.

• Support Comprehensive Services and Reduce Punitive Discipline. Provide funding for mental health services, special education, and restorative justice practices that help students learn from mistakes instead of being kicked out of school. These resources can help address the root causes of behavior challenges. The additional funding for mental health services can serve as an alternative to disproportionate disciplinary measures, such as detention, suspensions, and corporal punishment.

•  Actively Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Back up words with action by funding programs that make all students feel welcome and supported, no matter their background. The current budget plans don't do enough. All changes should include clear accountability practices to track progress, provide regular public updates, and include real input from youth, parents, teachers, and community members. 

North Carolina's future depends on giving all children a great education. I urge you to make these important changes by the 2026-2027 school year.