NC struggles to support disabled students. Here’s how experts say we can fix it
North Carolina has fallen short in providing adequate services to its disabled students, the federal government ruled last fall. Experts say there are solutions.
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The Charlotte Observer spoke with four parents in Union County Public Schools who complained the district presented barriers to their children receiving adequate support. But the Observer’s reporting found it’s not a problem unique to Union County: in 2025, the federal government cited the state as “needing assistance” in meeting federal special education standards. It’s one of 32 states and territories to be cited.
Experts told the Observer funding and staffing shortages present major challenges to providing exceptional children’s services, North Carolina’s name for special education.
They said reforms to the state’s funding model — like giving more funding to schools with students who have more complex needs — and making the appeals process easier for parents could offer a better way forward.
Peggy Nicholson is a supervising attorney at Duke University’s Children’s Law Clinic, where law students and attorneys often represent families in cases involving access to EC services.
“One of the biggest challenges that affects pretty much every district that we work within is lack of resources to meet the needs of the children and families who are enrolled in the district,” Nicholson said. “We have historically underfunded our public schools, where most students with disabilities are served.”
Practically, that can look like families requesting evaluations but the school system lacking evaluators, for example. Or, the district may lack enough EC teachers.
A possible solution, Nicholson said, is reforming the funding model North Carolina uses for students with disabilities. It currently centers on just the number of students served, not the specific needs of those students.
“Right now, every student gets the same kind of per-pupil expenditure, and it’s not taking into account students who might have really intense, complex educational needs that require a lot more resources,” Nicholson said.
North Carolina allocates $5,309 in supplemental funding for each student with an individualized education plan, or IEP, which is required for all students with special needs. That is regardless of the type of disability or needs of each individual student, which vary greatly.
Meanwhile, North Carolina also caps supplemental EC funding at 13% of a district’s student population. But only 21 of North Carolina’s 115 public school districts fall below that threshold.
So, even if more than 13% of a district’s students have IEPs – as is the case in 94 districts in the state – it will only receive supplemental funding for 13%.
Nicholson said reforms to how the state doles out special education funding is one possible solution.
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Glynnis Hagins, an attorney with Disability Rights NC, a nonprofit that advocates for the legal rights of people with disabilities, said increasing public school funding in general could also help mitigate teacher shortages.
“Making sure that highly qualified teachers are paid what they deserve – that is a huge, huge thing, and it really impacts a building when people feel valued and respected,” Hagins, a former educator, told the Observer. “I think there are real systemic issues at play, and those are really impacting students with disabilities.”
Teacher shortages are especially pronounced for EC roles in North Carolina: a state annual report found that one in five teaching vacancies in North Carolina during the 2023-24 school year were for EC staff.
Lawmakers in Raleigh took steps this summer to increase teacher pay and approved an average raise of 8% for educators over two years in the long-awaited state budget. Those raises are heavily weighted toward beginning teachers, who are looking at a state pay increase of around 17% during that time. It will take base pay for starting teachers from $41,000 last year to $48,000 this year.
Meanwhile, teachers in their 15th year in the profession and beyond are looking at about a 5.5% increase.
A school team reviews each child’s case and determines services they need to get a “free, appropriate public education” tailored to their needs, as they are entitled to by federal law.
However, when parents want to appeal a school’s decision, their main avenue in North Carolina is the court system, Nicholson said.
That can be costly and time-consuming, and the burden of proving what their child needs falls on parents. For many, that means hiring experts and getting second opinions.
Reforms to the process could help kids access the services they need, Nicholson said.
“In terms of making it easier for families, many attorneys who represent students and families would love to see North Carolina review how we handle special education disputes and have more mechanisms for families to file appeals without the need to hire an attorney,” she said. “Or to have a more parent-friendly process for disagreeing with the school, where it doesn’t require the parent to have a ton of time and energy and an attorney in order to make their case.”
She said that would especially help low-income families who can’t afford to hire attorneys.
“Here in North Carolina, as part of that process, there is discovery. There is a hearing before a judge where you present experts. There are depositions. There’s a lot of time and costs that go into it,” Nicholson said. “So, for any parent, that’s going to be burdensome, but especially for low-income families.”
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This story was originally published August 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
