N.C. Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Favoring Charter Schools

The N.C. Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Court of Appeals that Cleveland County Schools must pay a share of disputed funds to three area charter schools. Robinson Bradshaw attorneys Richard Vinroot and Matthew Tilley argued on behalf of the charter schools, with Amanda Pickens appearing on brief. The case was one of six heard during a special session at the historic Burke County courthouse in Morganton – the first time the Supreme Court met there since before the Civil War.

The decision affirms a trial court verdict that Cleveland County Schools improperly classified moneys as “restricted” and failed to share them with students attending charter schools. Because these moneys were available to K-12 students in district schools, the courts ruled they must be shared equally on a per-pupil basis.