(The Center Square) – Analysis of North Carolina education concludes no state in the country from 2020 to 2022 decreased more in average teacher salary, and only 16 states had larger spending increase percentages for students.
The period is in line with the COVID-19 era, when the state and most of the world began to shut down on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Second-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Aug. 15, 2022, ended the declaration of emergency.
Education picked up more than $11 billion in relief money from the federal government. Other states got even more; how states spent pandemic era money and went ahead in future budget would reflect additional context for the rankings.
Taxpayers provide more money for education than any other part of the state budget. For fiscal year 2024-25, the figure was $17.9 billion. First-term Democrat Mo Green is the elected superintendent leading the Department of Public Instruction.
The state has about 90,000 public school educators spread among 115 districts for more than 2,500 traditional public schools, 200 charter schools, one regional school, and 1.5 million students.
In 2020, the Reason Foundation’s K-12 Education Spending Spotlight said average teacher pay in the state was $63,071. Two years later, it was $56,997.
Reason says North Carolina spends $13,661 per students, 47th best in the nation. It has increased 8.7% since 2020, ranking 17th.
The Reason Foundation is a Libertarian think tank. It promotes liberty, free markets and the rule of law.
