North Carolina

North Carolina schools see drop in crime, but drug possession ticks up

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

North Carolina schools see drop in crime, but drug possession ticks up

North Carolina schools saw a decrease in crimes for the third year in a row last school year, according to the latest numbers released Wednesday from the state Department of Public Instruction.

The number of crimes reported at North Carolina schools fell by around 6.1% to 11,470. The rate fell by about 8% to 7.43 incidents per 1,000 students.

Incidents falling under one of nine “violent” categories increased from 250 to 302. But these remain rare, occurring at a rate of 0.2 incidents per 1,000 students. They account for just 2.6% of all incidents.

DPI Chief Accountability Officer Michael Maher said the data shows crime is not widespread across the system, but is concentrated among a smaller number of schools and students.

Around 78% of schools reported 0-5 incidents this year. And data shows 9,966 students out of the state’s roughly 1.5 million accounted for all of the incidents — that means more than 99% of students were not involved in any violent or reportable offense.

“It’s not a picture of system-wide disorder, it’s a picture of concentration,” Maher told the state Board of Education Wednesday. “It’s concentrated in specific grades, it’s concentrated in key transition years and in students who are already facing multiple overlapping challenges.”

Incidents involving possession of a weapon fell by around 20%, and incidents involving possession of a firearm fell by 34%.

But possession of drugs remains a thorny issue, ticking up slightly and accounting for around 60% of all incidents.

“So while every incident matters, the data show that severe violence is rare, and the most common challenges schools are managing are behavioral and substance-related — not widespread physical harm,” Maher said. “So any policy, procedure or programmatic recommendation we make should be proportional to that evidence.”

The student subgroups with the highest incident rates were students with disabilities, Black students, economically disadvantaged students and male students. But Maher said this paints a complicated picture.

“I want to be clear: These are descriptive patterns, they are not causal explanations. The same pattern shows up across multiple education outcomes, including attendance, course and test performance and dropout — not just discipline,” Maher said. “That tells us that discipline is not a standalone issue. Effective solutions need to connect attendance, behavior, academic support and student services.”

Still, while these groups show persistent disparities, they’ve also seen significant improvements, with significant declines this year.

Maher made several recommendations based on the data – including establishing a targeted middle-to-high school transition initiative,

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools saw a decline in the number of crimes — from 1,414 to 1,267 — and its crime rate — from 10.1 to 8.8 per 1,000 students.

Source link

North Carolina

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

An North Carolina State University professor is back home Monday night after he was trapped in the Middle East as war with Iran broke out.

Rich Spontak was stuck in Qatar while traveling from Bangkok to Spain and was forced to stay in the country for about a week. Several travelers were trapped for days in the Middle East after Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several defense leaders were
killed in joint strikes by the United States and Israel.

Spontak, like many travelers, found himself stranded in the Middle East after the initial attacks, which quickly entangled more surrounding countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where seven U.S. service members were killed in retaliatory attacks from Iran.

Spontak said there were times he thought he wouldn’t make it out.

“I would just keep looking out and looking for the missiles,” Spontak said. “Some people that I met along the way were hit by shrapnel from the missles. It was dire.”

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remained closed, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Azerbaijan also shut the southern sector of its airspace on Thursday after accusing Iran of a drone attack that injured four civilians and damaged an airport building.

Lilia Austin, a Chapel Hill woman who was part of a group of 100 women who went to Israel for a trip the day before Khamenei was killed, also returned home on Sunday after she left Israel through Egypt.

Source link

North Carolina

Gov. Stein proposes $1.4B ‘critical needs’ budget for North Carolina

Published

24 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Stein proposes .4B ‘critical needs’ budget for North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — With North Carolina still without a new state budget, Gov. Josh Stein is urging state lawmakers to approve a $1.4 billion “Critical Needs Budget.” Stein says this budget will address the state’s most urgent priorities while the General Assembly works on a full spending plan.

“North Carolina has gone nearly two and a half years without passing a new state budget – the only state in the country to finish 2025 without one[…]This budget invests in critical public safety, education and health care services for the people of North Carolina that cannot wait,” Gov. Stein said in a press release Monday.

A major part of Stein’s proposal is $319 million to fully fund Medicaid, which provides health coverage to over three million North Carolinians. This program also supports rural hospitals, nursing homes and statewide health care providers, per the release.

JUDGE ORDERS FEMA TO REINSTATE $200M STORM RELIEF PROGRAM, ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS

The “Critical Needs Budget” would target public safety staffing and pay. According to the governor’s office, North Carolina currently ranks 49th in starting salaries for state troopers and correctional officers, and low pay has contributed to staffing shortages and vacancy rates. This budget would bring pay raises to correctional officers, law enforcement officers, probation and parole officers and more.

Stein’s proposed budget calls for raising starting and average teacher pay, as well as increasing pay for senior teachers and other education staff. The governor’s office said the state remains in the bottom 10 nationally in average teacher pay.

The budget proposal also includes pay increases for state employees and a cost-of-living adjustment for retired state employees, citing rising inflation costs and increasing health care premiums. Stein’s plan also includes targeted funding to maintain essential services, such as support for child care access and affordability.

Source link

North Carolina

The North Carolina Arboretum’s “Spring Into the Arb” returns for year two

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

The North Carolina Arboretum’s “Spring Into the Arb” returns for year two

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Arboretum has announced a new season of “Spring Into the Arb!”

The “Spring Into the Arb!” is in its second year, with its series of plant shows and sales, science and nature activities, music, and art, allowing people to reemerge and reconnect with nature.

The season begins with Nature Play Day on Saturday, March 14, continuing through April, May, and June with new activities every weekend.

TROLLS DRAW LARGE WEEKEND CROWD, FORCING N.C. ARBORETUM TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE

According to a news release, throughout the season, guests can enjoy the following:

Asheville Orchid Festival, annual Ikebana and Rose shows
Purchase plants at the Spring Plant Sale and Market
Get back to their native roots with Native Azalea Day, Mountain Science Expo, and Nature Play Day

The series culminates with Bonsai in the Blue Ridge in June, according to the release.

The release says guests and members are invited to drop in on the newly-opened Arbor Eatery in the Arboretum’s Education Center, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hours extend to 5 p.m. beginning April 1.

Spring Into the Arb events and programs are included with the regular Arboretum parking fee of $25 per vehicle. Arboretum Society Members get in free.

NC ARBORETUM MARKS BIRD DAY WITH WALKS, DEMOS AHEAD OF GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

According to the release, additional admission is required for the Asheville Orchid Festival and Bonsai in the Blue Ridge.

A full list of the Spring Into the Arb 2026 events includes: