Study Finds Stark Gap In North Carolina School System Funding

A new study highlights a growing gap in public school funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in North Carolina. 

The report was released by the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

It found that the highest spending counties spent on average $3,200 per student.

That compares with $755 invested by the lowest spending counties, with a gap of almost $2,500 per student.

WRAL-TV reports that gap is the largest since the group began tracking the figures in 1987.

A Public School Forum official says that with the financial burdens placed on residents in lower wealth districts, their schools are more poorly resourced than those in wealthier counties, particularly when it comes to funding supplemental pay to attract and retain teachers.

A General Assembly committee has been considering a major overhaul to the state's education finance system. A final report is due in October of this year.