By Amy Cockerham
Public Ed Works

ELIZABETHTOWN (February 13, 2025) – Bladen County is one of 78 rural counties in North Carolina suffering the consequences of state underfunding in public schools.

Bladen County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jason Atkinson grew up in the county that’s located between Fayetteville and Wilmington and came back in 2021 to serve in his role. His job has been no easy feat in recent years as money gets tighter and tighter.

“It takes every dime that we get, federal, state and local, and we still need more,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson described aging school buildings and facilities that can’t accommodate the growing population in his county, including a cafeteria that isn’t big enough for all of his students.

“We have kids eat lunch at 10:00,” Atkinson said. “That’s unacceptable.”

A couple of years ago, the county opened a new school in Tar Heel with help from state funds, but that was only a drop in the bucket.

“Every campus has some issue of some kind in terms of age of buildings,” Atkinson said. “Aging facilities, you’re going to continue to have problems, and it’s going to continue to get worse until we do something about it, and that does take big money.”

Meanwhile funding for school vouchers, taxpayer money for private school education, is at an all-time high in North Carolina. In 2025-26, more than $600 million is allocated for “Opportunity Scholarships.”

“If you’re going to create something new, it shouldn’t come off the back of the school systems to make that happen,” Atkinson said.

“Take your state surplus, take something else. I’m sure there’s a lot of money that’s being wasted in other areas or not being used effectively. Public schools use our money. And we need more of it.”

North Carolina currently ranks at the bottom of funding effort in the nation. Funds remain in limbo for the current year because legislators still haven’t passed a budget.

“What would I want for my own children?” Atkinson said. “If you could answer that question and do what’s right, we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”

With North Carolina ranking as the top state for business last year, there’s no excuse to not invest in our kids.

“They deserve the best,” Atkinson said. “North Carolina has a way to give them the best. If we just go through the right channels, do the right thing.”