School funding
gap infuriating

A recent report showing a comparison of county-by-county, per-student funding should make Columbus County residents furious.

When combined with state funding last year, Columbus County has the lowest per-pupil spending level in the state at $959 per student.

Columbus also ranks low in local spending per student, $632, largely because the county doesn’t have the resources to provide local funding like larger counties. Orange County, for example, spent $2,789 per student. Nearby New Hanover spent $2,188 per student.

We hope Superior Court Judge Howard Manning is equally interested in the results. Manning has been on a personal crusade since 2000 to force the state to end the “have and have not” system of school funding. The state supreme court sided with the Hoke County school board in the case, saying that funding formulas in North Carolina do not ensure equal education opportunities for both at-risk children and for students in low-wealth counties.

Two things must happen to correct this. First, the General Assembly and governor should continue to address the vast differences in funding per pupil. Is is fair to allow the wealthiest counties to provide the best educational opportunities for their students simply because these counties have the resources for superior local funding?

Second, Columbus County commissioners must provide more local funding. Most of the time, this isn’t possible, but with the end of local Medicaid reimbursements, we strongly encourage the commissioners to allocate most of the windfall to the schools.

There are many elements that make for a successful local education system.

Adequate funding, particularly when it helps attract the best teachers possible, is an absolute essential.