North Carolina School Safety Survey Results Published
State officials reviewed student survey data to guide future school safety funding and resource allocation.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The North Carolina Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being presented new survey data showing a decline in students missing school due to safety concerns. The findings highlight persistent challenges regarding student access to firearms and school resource officer coverage.
Why it matters
Council members are pushing for permanent state funding to address gaps in school security, as current grant programs often fail to meet district salary and benefit needs. This shift aims to move schools away from a fluctuating budget model that complicates long-term staffing.
In 2025, 30% of students reported the ability to access a loaded gun in under 30 minutes, while 10.1% experienced sexual violence and 9% faced physical dating violence. Districts requested $86.8 million in safety grants for 2024-2025 against $32.9 million in actual 2025-26 awards.
The players
North Carolina Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being
A state body tasked with analyzing student safety metrics and recommending legislative funding policies.
N.C. Center for Safer Schools
A state agency responsible for distributing safety grants to improve security measures in public schools.
The details
The state currently relies on a grant-based system to fund the 1,500 school resource officers serving more than 2,500 public schools. The advisory council reviews these survey findings to craft policy recommendations for the General Assembly. They intend to propose a funding increase to $50 million annually for school safety grants by 2027 to stabilize local staffing.
Timeline
2023: Students missing school due to safety reached 14.6%.
2025: Data collection period for the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
September 28, 2026: North Carolina High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data presented.
November 2026: Advisory council scheduled to meet again.
2027: Expected implementation of recommended school resource officer increases.
The Home Front
This move toward permanent state earmarks marks a departure from the current fluctuating grant-based funding model for school security. It aligns with broader state efforts to address school resource officer shortages through centralized legislative budget adjustments.
Parents should review the published survey findings to understand the safety landscape in local schools. If you have concerns about security or resource officer coverage in your district, consider contacting your local school board to discuss budget priorities.
The takeaway
The state is prioritizing a transition to permanent funding to address persistent school safety gaps. Parents and caregivers should review the full survey report to understand the specific safety trends affecting students in their district.
What happens next
The advisory council will meet in November 2026 to continue their review, followed by the release of a final report to the General Assembly ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Further reading
For more on how state policy changes affect school environments, visit Secondary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NC Newsline.
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