Governor Cooper Tours Leicester Elementary School in Buncombe County, Highlights How Strong Public Schools Make Strong Communities

Today, Governor Roy Cooper visited Leicester Elementary School in Buncombe County as part of the "Year of Public Schools" education tour and delivered supplies collected from the Governor's School Supply Drive. The Governor was joined by teachers, students, local and state education leaders and local elected officials as he highlighted the outstanding work taking place in North Carolina's public schools and how public education is strengthening North Carolina's communities.

The Governor again called for fully funding K-12 education as well as meaningful investments in early childhood education and teacher pay in the upcoming legislative session. The Governor also called for a stop to state spending on vouchers for unaccountable and unregulated private schools until North Carolina's public schools are fully funded.

"Our public schools are providing great learning experiences that help our students grow and thrive," said Governor Cooper. "With students back in the classroom across North Carolina, Republican legislators must do significantly more to invest in public schools so they have the resources to be successful."

"High school graduates don't just fall from the sky. Such important work begins from the first day a student walks into school," said Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson. "I'm proud of the amazing work happening at Leicester Elementary. As you walk past classrooms, you hear high-quality instruction and see students engaged in active learning. We're glad Governor Cooper could see the great foundation and community our Leicester Elementary students are building."

"We're off to a great new school year at Leicester Elementary School," said Leicester Elementary School Principal Penny Caldwell. "After a week of class, even our newest students are showing their pride in being Wildcats. It's exciting to help our students grow in a place where teachers foster a sense of belonging. We've enjoyed having the Governor see what's happening in our school."

In April, Governor Cooper announced his FY24-25 budget that includes investments in North Carolina public schools and early childhood and child care system. The Governor's budget would raise teacher pay by 8.5% and invest over $1 billion in public schools while placing a moratorium on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers.

The Governor has spent the year visiting communities across the state highlighting the wonderful things happening in North Carolina public schools. In Buncombe County, 75.7% of school-aged children attend public schools, and public schools in Buncombe County and across the state excel at preparing students for success from cradle to career.

• The 2023 high school graduation rate for Buncombe County Schools was 91%.
• In 2023, North Carolina public school students earned more than 325,000 workforce credentials while in high school. More than 1,500 of those workforce credentials were earned by students in Buncombe County.
• In 2023, more than one-third of North Carolina high school graduates and 50% of graduates from Buncombe County Schools took a college course for credit while in high school.
• North Carolina has the highest number of National Board-certified teachers in the country (over 24,000), including 292 in Buncombe County.

However, Republican legislators continue to push policies that undermine and politicize public education. The budget enacted by the legislature last year expanded the private school voucher program by $250 million over the next two years, for a total of $4 billion over the next ten years. Republican leaders of the House and Senate agreed to spend an additional $460 million on private school vouchers that would overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest demographic in the state before pausing negotiations. Funds that Republican legislators plan to allocate to their voucher scheme could be used to invest in public schools, including providing a substantial pay raise for teachers.

• Under the expanded voucher program, public schools in Buncombe County could lose over $5.5 million in state education funding just in the first year of the expanded program. That loss in funding not only impacts students, but also the Buncombe County workforce. Public schools are the third employer in Buncombe County.

During his final year as Governor, Gov. Cooper is committed to prioritizing public schools and to hearing from the many communities across the state who know that strong public schools ensure we have strong communities.

Read "The Year of Public Schools" proclamation here.

Read more about the truth of North Carolina's voucher program here.

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Related Topics:

• Education