NASHVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper headed back to school Tuesday morning.
He visited his former elementary school, Nashville Elementary, to proclaim 2024 as the “Year of Public Schools” with a message on investing in public school education.
“I know firsthand the value of a good education. Mine started right here at Nashville Elementary and here I learned to read and do math. I had teachers who cared about me,” said Governor Cooper.
In front of a crowd of educators and state leaders, he stressed an urgent message– North Carolina public schools need more funding.
He said North Carolina ranks near the bottom nationally in K-12 funding.
“We’re losing good teachers because they’re underpaid and underappreciated, too often our schools are asked to do more with less, and the major threat is the legislature’s 10-year neglect of our public schools that have escalated over the last 3-4 years,” said Governor Cooper.
He also took aim at the legislature’s plans to spend more than $4 billion over the next decade for private school vouchers.