Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
> STATE AND LOCAL SCHOOL FUNDING IN NORTH CAROLINA: <br /> A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE <br /> North Carolina's first state constitution in 1776 included _ sUN <br /> an education provision that stated, "A School or Schools ,19 zn <br /> J l enr <br /> shall be established by the Legislature for the convenient 4 �\ <br /> Instruction of Youth." The legislature provided no financial ra <br /> support for schools. <br /> A century later, the constitution adopted after the Civil War ` <br /> required the state to provide funding for all children ages 6-21 <br /> to attend school tuition-free. In 1901, the General Assembly 1 <br /> appropriated $100,000 for public schools, marking the first \ <br /> time there was a direct appropriation of tax revenue for public A • <br /> schools. Today, the constitution mandates that the state „09 , <br /> provide a "general and uniform system of free public schools" � . v. <br /> mo <br /> and that the state legislature may assign counties "such 72!V." <br /> responsibility for the financial support of the free public - <br /> schools as it may deem appropriate." N.C. Const. art. IX, \'` <br /> T <br /> § 2 (see note, "Sources of Local School Finance Law: The rig. <br /> North Carolina State Constitution"). 4 1 _ <br /> migid-ii ---- , <br /> The constitution adopted after the Civil War required ,- <br /> the state to provide funding for all children ages 6-21 1; <br /> to attend school tuition-free. <br /> / r - 1 <br /> ISOURCES OF LOCAL SCHOOL FINANCE LAW: <br /> THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE CONSTITUTION <br /> Article IX, Sec.2. Uniform system of schools. <br /> (1) General and uniform system:term.The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general <br /> and uniform system of free public schools,which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein <br /> equal opportunities shall be provided for all students. (2) Local responsibility.The General Assembly may assign <br /> to units of local government such responsibility for the financial support of the free public schools as it may deem <br /> appropriate.The governing boards of units of local government with financial responsibility for public education <br /> may use local revenues to add to or supplement any public school or post-secondary school program. <br /> >6 <br />