Readers,

The state of education in North Carolina is a well-known pitfall of the state. It’s shortcomings in curriculum and busing policy have been discussed on national news networks and even mocked on the satirical politics show The Colbert Report. North Carolina is 46th in national per-pupil expenditures with a continually subtracting sum of $4,870.74. The state is also 47th in teacher pay, at approximately $47,783 per teacher annually. The amount of textbook funding per student was reduced 78% from 2008-09 to 2015, and funding for instructional supplies went from $59 per student to $28 within the same timeframe. The shrinking student budget for necessities such as nutrition, textbooks, and supplies is continually being diverted from public school to private online institutions and charter schools by the state senate.

We at the Herald ask… why? How did this backwards, politicized education system come about, and who corrupted it? Where exactly is the state’s education budget going? Most importantly, what can we do to fix our broken school systems?

In this series, our staff investigates and attempts to answer such questions. Furthermore, we implore you, the readers, to ask some of your own. It’s time to care about your education.

Emily Davis

Editor in Chief

The Heritage Herald

Until then, check out our first tie-in video, which asks teachers: Why do you teach?