(The Center Square) – North Carolinians hold K-12 education accountability most with state lawmakers based on money, an Elon University Poll released Wednesday says.
The 800 adults ages 18 and up, some with children in the public school systems and some without, also gave evidence in responses of a tremendous deficit in knowledge about the public school system. The poll, with +/- 4.24% margin of error, was conducted in conjunction with YouGov and in a survey design partnership with the university’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.
“We found clear evidence that North Carolinians want to see more effective governance of K-12 schools,” said Dr. Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll. “A large majority thought state government bears some of the blame when schools underperform.”
Teachers (57%) were least to blame for poor-performing schools and state government (77%), local school boards (77%), principals (67%) and parents (64%) got more. Ninety-four percent of respondents said poverty, neighborhood safety and family stability were major factors in school underperformance.
For the most common factors of school underperformance, respondents said insufficient funding and resources (60%) ahead of lack of parental involvement (52%), weak school management (38%), student challenges outside of school (30%), poorly prepared teachers (26%), political conflict among leaders (24%), technological distractions (22%) or broader community or crime problems (18%).
“Sixty percent identified the real problem: insufficient funding,” said Dr. Ann Bullock, dean of the Watts Williams School of Education. “Schools need to be funded at a level to meet the needs of the students in each community. Education needs to be a priority for change to happen.”
Respondents’ knowledge of public education was not good.
Average guess by respondents for North Carolina teacher pay annually was $42,257. Instead, it is $58,292 the university said citing the National Education Association annual report. That’s a number higher than the median household income for 47 of 100 counties, according to the latest report from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
National average for teachers, according to the NEA, is $72,030.
Correspondingly, 71% of respondents said public school teachers are paid too little and only 45% said they would encourage a child or close family member to pursue a job as K-12 teacher.
The poll found 60% did not know charter schools are public schools in North Carolina. In fact, 34% said they were private schools.
North Carolina has universal school choice. Asked questions about the state’s Opportunity Scholarships, available to any family regardless of income, 36% were unsure if testing and reporting requirements for public schools were the same for charters and privates that are recipients of the voucher funds.
Charters, in general, mirror traditional public schools in both aspects. Private schools have partial testing rules and less accountability, a release from Elon said.
The poll results said 28% were unsure how public schools are funded, and 52% did know school board members are either elected or appointed. The state superintendent’s position is elected, though 59% of respondents were not sure of that and 31% said they were unsure how the office was filled.
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 1.5 million schoolchildren and 90,000 public school educators.
