‘Better direction’: Parent, school director explain why more NC parents are choosing charter schools

HARRISBURG, N.C. — An increasing number of North Carolina parents are choosing to send their students to charter schools over public schools.

This year, 10% of students in publicly funded N.C. schools are enrolled in charter schools, compared to 7% nationwide. A report from the State Department of Public Instruction found that charter schools saw a 6% increase in enrollment for the 2024-25 school year compared to the year prior.

Okima McRae told Channel 9’s Erika Jackson that her son has always been a free thinker, even at a young age.

“He loved to draw,” McRae said. “He had an aspect of always trying to help us with our business, because we are entrepreneurs. So he was helping us early on.”

McRae said she wanted to help her son by finding a school that embraced his talents. And she said she found the ideal curriculum at A.C.E. Academy Charter in Harrisburg. A.C.E. stands for Academics, Character, and Entrepreneurship.

“Having that foundation in a charter school where he was able to explore and still get a traditional education, it just seemed to be a much better direction for us to go,” she said.

Each charter must be authorized by the state. But the schools still have greater flexibility with the curriculum, programming, and staffing compared to traditional public schools.

Research by The Network for Public Education found that at least one in four charter schools closes before their fifth year. A majority of recently closed schools blame low enrollment.

A.C.E. Academy Charter School director Shannon Martin said the school started with fewer than 200 students 12 years ago. Now, more than 450 students are enrolled.

“In charter schools, we are privately ran, we’re publicly funded,” Martin said. “Our students do not pay a tuition, but we are privately ran and are governed by our own board of directors.”

And Martin said this means the school can create a unique curriculum. So no two charter schools are the same.

“It’s more than just reading, math, science, social studies, where we have a whole child approach that you do not see in a traditional public school,” Martin said.

McRae told Jackson that she hopes the skills her son learns in the classroom will help him in his career.

“He’s been able to grow here,” she said. “We’ve seen the growth, and it’s something we would love to continue.”

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