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Over the years, I’ve performed quite a bit of root cause analysis (RCA) for my customers to identify and solve problems they were experiencing. Normally, problems in manufacturing surface over a few years and there are several contributing factors.

The situation with BCS and S.W. Snowden has developed over time and is primarily a money issue. Correct the money problem and other issues will come to the surface but let’s deal with the money.

There are several contributing factors:

No. 1 is the reduction in county population and lower birth rate. This lowered the number of school age children available to attend Beaufort County Schools. Beaufort County has adjusted over the years by increasing local funding. Enrollment decreased but the size and number of schools didn’t. Fewer students reduce funding from the state.

No. 2 is charter schools. They offer parents and students choice and enhanced educational opportunities. They are competition for the traditional public school system.

The three charter schools which Beaufort County students mostly chose to attend are Washington Montessori, Bear Grass and Arapahoe Charter Schools. All are good schools and have an enrollment in excess of 400 students.

When a student leaves the public schools and enrolls in a charter school, the state and local funding follows the student to their new school. According to the National Center of Statistics, Montessori received $7,924 state and $3,172 local per student funding in 2021-22 school year.

Many of those students would have attended Beaufort County Schools.

No. 3 is local county funding by the Board of Commissioners. In school years 2021-22 and 2022-23, local county funding was not increased. It remained at $14,587,140 for three consecutive years. They obviously survived by cutting back but eventually there is no room left. County funding has increased the last two years but has not made up for previous shortfalls. More money would be needed to keep S.W. Snowden open.

No. 4 is inadequate funding by the state. With all their intricate math, they do not account for the half-filled classrooms or fixed cost to run a school. This is particularly true in rural counties where half-filled classrooms can be common.

No. 5 are N.C. Opportunity Scholarships. They were approved in 2013 by the State Legislature and implemented in the 2014-2015 school year. Initially, it applied to low-income public-school students to attend a participating private school. As of 2024, there are no income eligibility requirements. It’s open to all families and there’s lots of funding.

In 2024-25 school year, there are 381 Beaufort County award recipients attending various private schools in and out of Beaufort County. Many of these students might have attended Beaufort County Schools.

What do I think?

I think the lack of funding is bleeding BCS and other rural counties dry. The only solution to keep S.W. Snowden open is additional funding by the Board of Commissioners. Each year the problem gets worse and eventually extends to all BCS schools.

I don’t believe the state legislature has ever addressed the financial deficiencies of rural public schools caused by the creation of charter schools, Opportunity Scholarships, inflation and government mandates. It makes me wonder if the legislature understands the funding of public schools.

Al Klemm is a Washington resident and a former Beaufort County Commissioner.