When Anaston Lassiter graduates in May from Hertford County Early College High School, she will leave with more than a high school diploma. She is set to finish with a business certificate and associate degrees in science and the arts.
Lassiter was among the students spotlighted Wednesday as North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green joined other education leaders to launch a six-week campaign called “Find Your Fit, Build Your Future.”
State officials said the campaign is meant to draw attention to the range of public school options available to families statewide.
“When families think about school choice, they often don’t realize just how much choice already exists in public education,” Green said.
Republican lawmakers have expanded the state’s private school voucher program, known as Opportunity Scholarships, in recent years as enrollment in charter schools has grown steadily.
Supporters of the voucher program say families need more options. Critics argue the shift diverts money and attention from traditional public schools, particularly in rural and low-income communities.
Asked about declining enrollment in traditional public schools, Green said the shift was a predictable result of expanded choices.
“Anytime you offer more opportunities, some families are going to choose differently,” he said. “Where almost all families were once limited to district public schools, those choices have to come from somewhere.”
Green said the campaign is meant to steer families toward traditional public school options and that increased funding could help reverse enrollment declines.
“With more funding and more visibility, I believe more families will continue to choose public schools,” he said.
North Carolina now has more than 200 charter schools serving about 158,000 students.
Ashley Logue, executive director of the state’s Office of Charter Schools, said charter schools are often misunderstood.
“Charter schools are tuition-free public schools operated by independent nonprofit boards,” Logue said. “They have the flexibility to create specialized programs that meet the unique needs of individual students.”
Trey Michael, a state official who oversees career and technical education programs, said students who complete a full sequence of CTE courses graduate at a 98% rate and often leave high school with industry credentials and college credit.
Jovonia Lewis of Durham said the range of programs allowed her to tailor schooling for her three sons, who have attended magnet, Montessori and early college programs.
“We chose North Carolina public schools because we wanted our sons educated in a place that reflects our community,” Lewis said.
North Carolina has 229 magnet programs, 138 early college high schools and 211 charter schools.
Officials said the campaign launched to coincide with National School Choice Week will run through the end of February.
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