Seal of the North Carolina Board of Education

The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the

Constitution of North Carolina The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, one of the United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law. All U.S. st ...

, supervises and administers the public school systems of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. The board sets policy and general procedures for public school systems across the state, including teacher pay and qualifications, course content, testing requirements, and manages state education funds. The North Carolina State Board of Education consists of the

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

State Treasurer In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...

, and 11 members appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and confirmed by the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...

for eight-year terms (three at-large, eight from designated educational districts across the state). The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction serves as the board's secretary. In 2009, Gov.

Beverly Perdue Beverly Eaves Perdue (born Beverly Marlene Moore; January 14, 1947) is an American businesswoman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 73rd governor of North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. She was the first female gove ...

asked the board "to redefine the duties of its chair to include the responsibilities of the newly created Chief Executive Officer, who will manage operations of the public school system." Superintendent June Atkinson sued the governor and the judge ruled that the superintendent had the constitutional authority to run the system.

History

North Carolina Board of Education meeting, December 20, 2016

In 1868 North Carolina ratified a constitution which provided for a system of public schools to be led by a

Superintendent of Public Instruction A state education agency or state department of education is the state-level government organization within each U.S. state or territory responsible for education, including providing information, resources, and technical assistance on educationa ...

and a State Board of Education. Under this framework, the board comprised the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, superintendent of public works (an office eliminated in 1873), attorney general, and the superintendent of public instruction. It was tasked by the constitution to "make all needful rules and regulations in relation to Free Public Schools and the Educational Fund of the State." In 1901 the legislature created an equalizing fund to subsidize education expenses in counties with fewer resources. The board was responsible for the fund until the duty of administering it was transferred to a new commission in 1927. In 1943 the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

amended the constitution to modify the board's membership to comprise the governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, superintendent, and a delegate from each of the state's congressional districts. From 1943 to 1954, by informal arrangement, the lieutenant governor served as the board's chairman. The new constitution of 1971 established that the board was to "supervise and administer a free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support ..and shall make all needed rules and regulations in relation, thereto". The document further revised the board's membership to consist of the lieutenant governor, state treasurer, and 11 gubernatorial appointees (one from each of the state's eight education districts and three others). The superintendent was removed from the board and made its chief administrator and secretary.

Members

Current membersAbout Us - Board Members
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The Secretary to the State Board

Catherine Truitt Catherine Truitt (born 1970/1971) is an American educator and politician who has served as the 24th North Carolina superintendent of public instruction since January 2, 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Truitt previously served as senior ...

(

since 2021)

Notable former members

* Bill Cobey (2013–2018) *

Phil Kirk Phillip J. Kirk Jr. (born November 24, 1944) is a North Carolina political figure. He is a former chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education (1997–2003) and a former president of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce (then know ...

(1997–2003) * Howard Nathaniel Lee (2003-2009) * Dennis A. Wicker * Patricia Willoughby (2001-2019)

References

Works cited

* * {{Authority control Government of North Carolina Public education in North Carolina