910GirlsHoops

CCS is projected to lose $17 million in the coming fiscal year through the N.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, which gives state funding to students who wish to attend private schools.  CCS would lose the most funding of any county in the state at $17.1 million, or a 5% decrease in its total state funding, in fiscal year 2026-27. The loss in funding for CCS is tied to the projected decrease in average daily membership, a measure of how many students attend the county’s public schools. According to the Office of State Budget and Management’s analysis, Cumberland County would lose 2,235 additional students by fiscal year 2026-27 with the expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship program. We must find innovative ways to retain and attract students to CCS! We have a blueprint with the CCS Schools of Choice Program. Unfortunately, 20+ years of policy and funding changes has decreased the attractiveness of these programs.