North Carolina families could soon have another education option. The state board is discussing applications for two virtual charter schools this month.
North Carolina school officials are close to approving nearly a dozen new charter schools. The state is continuing to expand beyond traditional public classrooms.
I. NEW SCHOOL VOUCHERS STIR CONTROVERSY
Rita Haire is a former principal and now director of advancement at the private, faith-based High Point Christian Academy. It's a school that has more than 500 students, but Haire says that the sagging economy and trends in charter schools and home schooling have chipped away at enrollment over the last few years.
The push for more competition and school choice in North Carolina is changing the state’s education landscape.
In 2011, state lawmakers voted to lift the 100-school cap on charter schools, allowing an unlimited number of tax-supported, independent schools. Now education officials say as many as 170 new charter schools could open in the Tar Heel state in 2015.