NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina’s top education officials are voicing strong support for Governor Josh Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 254, citing constitutional concerns over provisions that would transfer charter school oversight responsibilities away from established state authorities.

State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” about the Charter School Review Board (CSRB) provisions contained within the legislation.

Constitutional Authority at Center of Dispute

The education leaders argue that Senate Bill 254 would unconstitutionally strip core oversight, accountability, and rulemaking responsibilities for charter schools from the North Carolina State Board of Education and the state superintendent—both constitutionally established authorities responsible for supervising the state’s public school system.

“Charter schools are public schools,” the officials emphasized in their statement, noting that the bill would transfer these constitutional responsibilities to “a non-constitutional body, the CSRB.”

According to Davis and Green, the legislation would “severely hinder” their ability to execute constitutional mandates in service of all public school students and threaten their capacity to ensure all students receive their constitutionally guaranteed education.

Commitment to Charter School Innovation Remains Strong

Despite their opposition to the bill, both officials reaffirmed their support for high-quality charter schools as innovative public institutions that can meet diverse student needs.

“We believe in the promise of high-quality charter schools as innovative public schools that can meet student needs in diverse ways,” they stated, while emphasizing their commitment to strengthening relationships with charter school leaders and fostering collaboration across all North Carolina public schools.

New Collaborative Initiatives Underway

The state superintendent has already initiated efforts to improve coordination between charter and traditional public schools. Beginning this summer, charter leaders will attend district superintendents’ meetings, with district leaders reciprocating by attending charter meetings.

These collaborative efforts are part of a broader strategic plan scheduled for State Board of Education approval in August 2025. The plan includes the creation of a cross-sector Innovation Leadership Council featuring charter leaders, public school district leaders, lab school leaders, and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction staff.

The council will focus on guiding knowledge transfer and scaling up promising innovative educational practices across all public school sectors.

Concerns About System Fragmentation

The education leaders warned that Senate Bill 254 would create negative consequences for the state’s public school system, pushing it “toward fragmentation, confusion, loss of accountability and diminished public trust.”

They emphasized that effective collaboration requires “shared purpose and consistent oversight”—elements they believe the legislation would undermine.

Looking Forward

Davis and Green concluded their statement by expressing willingness to work with lawmakers on alternative approaches that maintain system integrity.

“We look forward to working with lawmakers to ensure that our public school system remains strong, accountable and worthy of our communities’ confidence,” they stated.

The veto represents a significant development in ongoing debates over charter school governance in North Carolina, highlighting tensions between legislative efforts to expand charter school autonomy and constitutional requirements for unified educational oversight.